Prompt 19: Nursery Rhyme
"Here we go round the mulberry bush," Mr. Donaldson muttered as he opened the door to the mayor's office building. Across the wide open floor of the lobby, the mayor, Amy Stewart, stood at the reception desk talking to several people, all of them dressed professionally, one taking strenuous notes. There was a photographer nearby snapping photographs of the meeting. As Donaldson approached, the mayor posed with the group for a final picture. He waited patiently for them to say their goodbyes and watched them leave.
The mayor spoke briefly with the receptionist and then, as the reporters exited to the parking lot, turned and greeted Donaldson as if she had not yet seen him. "David Donaldson, you're a few minutes early but that's okay, I'm happy to see you." She shook his hand. She had a very firm grip. "Are you ready to tour the schools?"
"I am." He straightened his tie that was pocked out from behind his beard. His blue suit was the most formal clothing he had ever wore. It wasn't so bad. He patted his jacket pockets. The one on his right was still bulky with Glacial's transmission ship. To cover his actions, he buttoned his jacket under the tip of his beard.
"The past year has been very difficult," she said as they walked out the front door of the offices. "The entire school board and all the teacher resigned unexpectedly, blaming themselves for the student's poor performance, but fortunately we had already been considering moving the school system to a private infrastructure, like a business." As they walked through the parking lot, Amy was joined by a young male who handed her some notes to sign on a clipboard. He continued walking with them, one step back, as they approached a black, shiny SUV with a waiting driver.
Donaldson's girth consumed much of the back space but there was still enough room for Stewart to slid in beside him. Her assistant sat with the driver in the front, busily texting. Donaldson watched the driver pull slowly out of the parking space and make for the exit into busy morning traffic. He turned back to the mayor. "All your schools are private now? How are the grades?"
She grinned broadly. "Perfect. Every one of them. It's a like a breath of fresh air. I think you'll enjoy this teaching staff. Oh, would you like a bottle of water? It's delicious." She handed him a small plastic bottle that had no label. When he have it an appraising glance, she added, "A local refinery I've been investing in, still hasn't settled on a name. I think it should be called 'Water from the End of the Rainbow.' Try it, I think you'll agree with me!"
If the giddiness in her voice wasn't enough to put him off, he was already under strict instructions from Glacial not to eat or drink anything until he returned to his office. And if he didn't remember, there was a small spaceship in his pocket that would remind him with a small electrical shock.
He accepted the bottled water with a smile. "I'm okay for now but I'll save it for later, how's that sound?" He slipped the bottle into the pocket with the spaceship.
For a brief moment, Stewart's face lost the bright excitement of a school girl, until she changed the subject to how the schools were going to spend Donaldson's grant money. He nodded attentively, playing the game so early in the morning.
The mayor spoke briefly with the receptionist and then, as the reporters exited to the parking lot, turned and greeted Donaldson as if she had not yet seen him. "David Donaldson, you're a few minutes early but that's okay, I'm happy to see you." She shook his hand. She had a very firm grip. "Are you ready to tour the schools?"
"I am." He straightened his tie that was pocked out from behind his beard. His blue suit was the most formal clothing he had ever wore. It wasn't so bad. He patted his jacket pockets. The one on his right was still bulky with Glacial's transmission ship. To cover his actions, he buttoned his jacket under the tip of his beard.
"The past year has been very difficult," she said as they walked out the front door of the offices. "The entire school board and all the teacher resigned unexpectedly, blaming themselves for the student's poor performance, but fortunately we had already been considering moving the school system to a private infrastructure, like a business." As they walked through the parking lot, Amy was joined by a young male who handed her some notes to sign on a clipboard. He continued walking with them, one step back, as they approached a black, shiny SUV with a waiting driver.
Donaldson's girth consumed much of the back space but there was still enough room for Stewart to slid in beside him. Her assistant sat with the driver in the front, busily texting. Donaldson watched the driver pull slowly out of the parking space and make for the exit into busy morning traffic. He turned back to the mayor. "All your schools are private now? How are the grades?"
She grinned broadly. "Perfect. Every one of them. It's a like a breath of fresh air. I think you'll enjoy this teaching staff. Oh, would you like a bottle of water? It's delicious." She handed him a small plastic bottle that had no label. When he have it an appraising glance, she added, "A local refinery I've been investing in, still hasn't settled on a name. I think it should be called 'Water from the End of the Rainbow.' Try it, I think you'll agree with me!"
If the giddiness in her voice wasn't enough to put him off, he was already under strict instructions from Glacial not to eat or drink anything until he returned to his office. And if he didn't remember, there was a small spaceship in his pocket that would remind him with a small electrical shock.
He accepted the bottled water with a smile. "I'm okay for now but I'll save it for later, how's that sound?" He slipped the bottle into the pocket with the spaceship.
For a brief moment, Stewart's face lost the bright excitement of a school girl, until she changed the subject to how the schools were going to spend Donaldson's grant money. He nodded attentively, playing the game so early in the morning.