A Cup of Tea

1925 words

A Cup of Tea

By Richard Ervin Ault 

Jocelyn Urabana (Joss) was concerned when she went to the sun porch and detected tears in her wife’s eyes.  Lana Hartman was in her usual well-worn wicker easy chair, looking out over the Huron River in Ann Arbor. She slowly looked up. All Joss could think to say was “I’ll make us some tea.”  Lana tried to swallow her tears and put on a fragile smile.

“Thank you,” she said in a feeble voice. 

By the time Joss returned with the pot and two mugs, Lana had straightened herself up a bit, pulled her robe around her, and managed a faint smile.  “Thank you again, hon. I guess I need this.”  She was showing signs of Lana becoming Lana again.

“So what’s up, babe?” Joss asked.

“That damn Christmas ham, that’s what.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning I guess we’re going to have to eat it all ourselves.”

“Lana, what the hell is going on?”

“I called my mother this morning to boast that I was bringing a ham for Christmas dinner instead of orange fruit jello and found out that I’m not invited.”  Tears pooled in her eyes once again but she wasn’t about to let the floodgates open again. 

“Not invited?”

“Not invited.  They’re going to have Christmas dinner up north at my grandparents, just the four of them and some friends from up there. Friends, my mother said, mind you.  Not me, not my brother Clark.  Just some friends.”

“Why?  Did she say why?”

“Not in so many words, but it was clear that they are all upset about my betrayal.  I didn’t support their boy for president last year.  I know for most people that would be trivial but not in my family. And I’m afraid I got poor Mark hit by the stray bullet.“

“Bloody ridiculous. They love you, they have stood by you through everything, including your hooking up with a bisexual Abbo Aussie, like me.  And now this?”

“Those other things may have tested them and maybe they added up, I don’t know.  Maybe it was all a cover-up on their part because they loved me and they know I adore them. But this was the deal-breaker.  I know them, I guess, and I shouldn’t have been so shocked but it knocked me for a loop, as you can see.”

“I feel so bad for you, Lan, but do you think maybe you could be overreacting? Maybe it is just what they said it is—they want a nice white Christmas up there where the snow is so beautiful around that turquoise northern Michigan lake.  I can see that.”

“I can too. That’s just it. It’s a picture burned in my childhood memories. Christmas on Torch Lake. The excruciating beauty of it all.  I would have been up there on a minute’s notice, and  I know Clark would too.  But we weren’t invited.  Specifically.  Their son and daughter were specifically told that they weren’t welcome. Oh, stop this, or I’m going to tear up again.”

Joss stroked Lana’s shoulders.“So what am I going to do?” Lana asked.

“ Your family is too close-knit to let this turn into something long-term. So you’re going to feel bad for a while, even cry some more if that’s what it takes, and then you’re going to get back on the horse.  You’re going to go to work and turn this into another winner that they can take pride in. Call Governor Birnbaum and tell him yes.”

“You think?”

“I think I think. What do you think?”

“I think I think you’re right. I’ve kept him hanging too long as it is.”

“I’ll fix us some breakfast while you make the call.” 

Lana took to the challenge of becoming Michigan’s  Secretary of State as she had every challenge since even before her days as a girl goalie on the boy’s hockey team in Novi.  She got herself prepared.  She attributed any success she had ever had to the same three things:  preparation, preparation, preparation.  The confident person that she was, she also realized that she was far from prepared for this new challenge and so she dug in.

First, she had had to make her arrangements with the University. Her Michigan law school dean expressed mixed feelings.  He was happy and proud of her and recognized what the uptick in the status of her new job could do for his school.  At the same time, he didn't want to lose her as a teacher and was put in a bind as to how to cover her classes.  A normal sabbatical was not a solution either, and they ended up agreeing on an indefinite leave of absence. After all, she would serve at the pleasure of a governor—a politician—even though he was also an old friend.

On the other hand, the president of the university was delighted, insisting on giving her a special reception only days after Christmas in his private box in the Michigan football stadium, the “Big House,” as it is known. Then, in typical Ann Arbor football season fashion, there was a glitch.  It turned out that the Wolverines would be playing in the Citrus Bowl against Virginia Tech that evening—New Year’s Eve eve—in Orlando, an event the university president was expected to attend, thus missing the reception.  Nevertheless, the affair went on with the law school dean, who was not a big football fan, in charge. That was all fine with Lana.  

The scene from the president's box was spectacular, looking out over the green of the vacant football field, from which the early December snowfall had been cleared. The whole scene, including the 107,601empty seats, glowed in the bright lights like a lighted canyon Large flakes continued to come down, however, adding to the holiday feel.   The game was being shown on the many television monitors around the room, diverting the attention of many of the guests.  

On the other hand, Lana didn't have to do much circulating to visit with people.  As she was the guest of honor, she was generally approached by other faculty and staff, who also saw to it that her champagne glass was never empty.   Professor Scott Page, a highly respected expert on the benefits of diversity in problem-solving, made it a point to seek her out and express his enthusiasm for what he called her "unique and wonderful opportunity."  

"I hope you're right about that, Scotty.  I'm excited about it myself, but I must say I am still a bit daunted by the challenges I see ahead."

"I'm sure you'll do a fine job, just as you did with the amendment project," he said.  

“And I still thank you every day for your help on that. You and your research got me over my own old mental models, out of my own box. Random selection, no less. I'll confess I was a bit concerned when Charlie Birnbaum and I first met about the whole idea. As a lawyer, I worried about not having enough expertise when it comes to creating such an important legal document, but you taught me well. I had read about such undertakings in other settings, Iceland and Canada for recent examples—but, being the conservative Republican I am, I still struggled a bit with turning things over to people on the street, as it were. The old Madisonian fear of mob rule.”

"Understood,” Irish said. “Your concern was a common one, but as you know now, after years of solid research, the answer is clear.—diversity trumps ability.”

“I know that now, and look at what happened. Unfortunately, we’re not home yet. The bases are loaded but we haven’t hit a home run yet.” She touched his arm and smiled.  “I know better than to ask you to come work for me, but please tell me I can call on you as a consultant.”

“Bases loaded with you at-bat? Of course, you can. It would be my pleasure”

They both stole a glance around the room, making Lana laugh at all the assembled expertise. He sensed what she was thinking. “As a conservative,” he said, “You surely know what William Buckley said about preferring to be governed by the first four hundred people…”

“...in the Boston telephone book rather than the entire faculty of Harvard. Yes, of course, I know that now. I wish I could convince my own conservative family. They have begun to think of me as a traitor to the cause after I didn’t vote for their guy.”

Page grimaced. "Thank God, you didn’t. For all the good that did, I mean,” he said. “I sometimes have to deal with the same thing. But, you know I'm pulling for you, Lana, and hope I can stay in touch with the process.”

   “Count on it.” Lana actually gave him a hug, almost spilling her champagne.  She decided the next glass should just be water and she would fake it for the rest of the evening. Joss approached before Page moved on. "Joss, you remember professor Page.” 

“Of course. Such a big help to Lana and the rest of us who were involved over the last several months. What do you think of our new Secretary of State?

Shaking her hand, Page said, “ In fact, as a pair, you two confound my findings."

Joss looked puzzled. Lana asked, "How's that, Professor?"

"In some respects, of course,  you meet the criteria of diversity," said Page, "but the fact that you are both obviously highly intelligent lawyers, your accomplishments fly in the face of my notion that diversity matters more than brainpower."

Joss laughed and said. "Well, gee, thank you, I think"

He smiled and said, “And good luck to both of you."

Just then the Dean announced that dinner was served in the next room. Unfortunately, the bowl game was not yet over—it had just gone into overtime— and most people were still glued to the monitors. Only a few moved into the dining area, frustrating those in the kitchen as well as the dean. Finally, as the game clock ticked down and it was obvious that the Wolverines were about to win, he called out, "Please, your steaks are getting cold." Such was life in Ann Arbor during football season.

Over dessert, the U of M band appeared from Orlando on a large screen playing 'The Victors" fight song as people in the room spontaneously chanted the well-trod lyrics:

“Hail! to the victors valiant

Hail! to the conquering heroes

Hail! Hail! to Michigan

The Leaders and best!”

The band faded out after this, the first of two verses, although some in the party kept singing before they caught on that their president had appeared on the screen. He expressed his regret at not being at Lana's special night in person but at the same time his pleasure with the team's victory. "And,” he said, “Professor Hartman’s challenging but vitally important opportunity. As the song says, ‘Hail to the leaders and best.’ '"

“They certainly gave you a marvelous send-off,” Joss said on the way home. "Now we need a plan."

“I’m still worried about my family. I blew Thanksgiving and they got back at me with no Christmas dinner.”

 “But they love you, you know. They always have and now you are the family star even more than ever."

"We'll see. But let's go on with this ‘we need a plan’ business.  As always,  I like when it’s ‘we.’"

Joss pulled into their driveway. “Great, but right now I'm ready to get into my jeans and have a cup of hot tea."