Chapter 11 – The Path of Least Resistance

“I just started brewing coffee, Bob.  Would you like some as soon as it is ready?”

Though he had been lost in his thoughts, Bob’s mind immediately surrendered his focus at the sound of Dixie’s sweet voice.

“I know you just got home, but I thought you might want to share some coffee and talk.  I am anxious to hear how your meeting went,” Dixie smiled as she greeted Bob with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  She wrapped her left hand around his right arm and gently pulled him to the kitchen table.

Bob still felt a bit dazed from the meeting with Cain and Hughes.  Mindlessly, he sat in his usual chair.  He saw a spoon at his place setting and began to idly fidget with it.

As Dixie brought two mugs over to the table, Bob worked to gather his focus.

“If I am willing to dance with the devil, I can be guaranteed to be the next mayor of Hilliard,” Bob’s face broke out in a grimace as he uttered these words.

To his surprise, Dixie had no reaction.  Her beautiful eyes just looked back at him and appeared to be urging him to continue.

“This Johnson fellow who set up this meeting, is the head of the county Democratic party.  He offered me the support of the party if I would, in return, commit to advance the party’s agenda in Hilliard,” Bob leaned towards Dixie as he scooted up in his chair.

“And, get this, Dixie, he even committed to guarantee that I would win the election.”

Bob paused to let Dixie respond.  He thought he would either get a shocked reaction or a joyous one.  To his disappointment, she still showed no hint of a reaction.

“I can truthfully say,” Dixie reached out and placed her right hand on top of Bob’s left hand, “that I am not surprised.  I did not expect it to happen this quickly, though.”

Bob tilted his head, squinted his eyes, and paused briefly with his lips slightly separated as he considered how to respond.

“You sound confident,” Bob said the words slowly as he was thinking what to say.  “It is as if you knew this was going to happen.”

Dixie let out a short blast of breath as she looked down for the first time during this conversation.  She, also, appeared to be considering her next words.

“Bob, you are a good man,” Dixie looked up to make eye contact, “You are fair, honest, and you really do care about other people.  While I doubt that many people would disagree that those are the qualities they want to see in their elected officials, there is more to being an elected official than that.

“Up to now, I have not spoken to you about politics.  Our discussions have been centered on the decision of whether to run for mayor or not.  We have not talked about what to expect should you become mayor.”

Bob had placed his right hand over his mouth and chin and he intently focused on Dixie’s words.  A deep, unintended exhale escaped through his lips.

“Being mayor isn’t going to be a job like the one you have at the plant.  Politics is not a respecter of persons, rank, or experience.  Being in the public eye, whether the public is the people of Hilliard, the state of Ohio, or the world, means that some people will not like you because they are dissatisfied with the office you serve in.

“Bob,” she squeezed his left hand, “you love to serve people.  You feel you have done a valuable thing when you are able to help someone.  You live for those moments and find your meaning and purpose in them.”

Bob looked down for a moment as her words made him feel exposed and vulnerable.

“She knows me better than anyone,” Bob thought.

“But,” Dixie paused, so Bob looked up once again into her eyes, “politics is not going to be that way. It is a world of compromise.  The goals and ambitions you have will be a moving target as issues and the agendas of others crash onto your shoulders.

“I believe you are going to make a great mayor.  I believe that with all my heart.  You need to know that I believe that!  Because of the politics, you are going to need to change some things inside of you.  I am not saying you should change your values or desire to help and watch out for others.  You are going to have to change how you get things done.”

“Change how I get things done,” Bob slowly repeated the words, then paused.

“What do mean, Dixie?  What kind of changes do you mean?”

Dixie gave a slight smile and nod.

“You are going to face many, many more situations, like the one you faced today.  Because of them, you are going to need to revisit your values and see if you are applying them to every situation and opportunity that presents itself to you.

“Now, Mr. Johnson, he offered to guarantee that you would win the election, is that right?”

“Yes,” Bob nodded.

“But, what will it cost you?  What will you have to do, Bob, to get his support?  More importantly, how do you feel about the price he is asking you to pay?”

Bob stiffened his shoulders and set his jaw.

“I can tell that you know what to do,” Dixie squeezed his left hand, again.

“I guess I could use some help.  I have had my focus only on the decision to run for mayor, not the elements of politics.  I need to be prepared for that.  It is better,” Bob nodded, “to be prepared, if I win the election, to do the job and handle the political side of it well.”

The doorbell chimed, surprising Bob.  Dixie smiled and stood, making her way to the front door.  He noticed that she was wearing a new outfit that made her look trim.

“Hi, Wade,” Dixie said sweetly.

“I haven’t come too early, have I?”

Bob wasn’t sure that he recognized the voice of this ‘Wade’ fellow.  It sounded to him as if Dixie were expecting him.

“No, in fact, your timing is perfect!”

The two of them talked as if they knew each other well.  They asked one another about the health of their parents, as well as siblings.

“They sound as if they are related,” thought Bob.

“I know that you haven’t seen one another since the wedding,” Dixie led Wade to the kitchen table, “which is unfortunate, but I believe that now is a good time to get reacquainted.

“Bob, I know that our wedding was a whirlwind, so, you may not remember all of my family members.  This is my cousin, Wade, Wade Simmons.”

Bob immediately stood and warmly greeted their visitor.

“It is so good to have you in our home, Wade.”

“Thank you, Bob, I would have come sooner, but my calendar had been pretty full.  As soon as Dixie let me know, I stopped taking on anything new or new appointments until I could come help you, first.”

Bob was puzzled.  He looked at Dixie and she immediately turned her focus towards Wade.

“Here, Wade, have a seat.  Do you still drink coffee?”

She gestured to Wade to sit at the chair at the end of the table which would put him between her and Bob.  He nodded with a grin on his face.

“I don’t know how I would ever function without it!”

Gracefully, Dixie crossed the kitchen as she grasped another mug and the coffee pot.  Bob noticed for the first time, that his mug was empty.  He had been so focused on their conversation, he hadn’t even reached for it.

Bob now remembered his sense of confusion.  He turned towards Wade as he fingered his coffee mug handle after Dixie had filled it.

“So, what brings you here, Wade?”

Wade’s shoulders twitched and he leaned back.  His eyes darted back and forth as he appeared to be surprised by Bob’s question.  He leaned forward again with a look of determination in his eyes.

“I can tell that Dixie has not shared with you, yet.”  He glanced over at her as she was standing near Bob.  “Some things never change.  She still plays her cards close to the vest.”

Dixie put her hand on Bob’s shoulder, gave him a knowing look, then sat at the table.  There was something about her that commanded the attention of both men.  She had a strength that attracted Bob to her and she was now allowing that quality to shine.

“I called Wade about a month ago and told him that you might be running for mayor, here in Hilliard.  At first, I was just hoping to get some general advice from him but as we talked, he made me more aware of the nature of politics.”

Now, she turned towards Wade.

“You really opened my eyes to see another perspective of public service.  I, like Bob, thought it was about choosing to do good things and people would be pleased.  I wasn’t aware of the challenges to personal values that a public official faced because of the politics.”

Bob shifted in his chair then interrupted.

“Wade, what do you do?  What kind of work are in that makes you so aware of politics?”

Tilting his head and returning a quizzical look to Bob, Wade then turned to Dixie.

“You really have not told him anything!”

A sly smile crossed Wade’s face.  Dixie returned a confident smile, then both turned to face Bob.

“Bob,” Wade leaned into him, “I am on the staff of the governor of Ohio.  I have been in and around politics for over fifteen years.  I know what is good with politics.  I know what is bad with politics.  I am aware of the political condition of almost every city and county in this state and, in some cases, beyond.

“I love my job.  I love my work.  I get to help people every day improve their life’s conditions.  Sometimes, I do it by saying ‘yes’ and sometimes, many times, by saying ‘no’.  I work on a team that advises the governor on practically every issue that comes across his desk or might come across his desk.  So, you could say that I have seen it all.”

Bob was stunned.  He had never heard Dixie speak of Wade.

“How is it she never shared with me about Wade?”  Bob thought.

“Well,” Bob spoke slowly and thoughtfully, “I do appreciate your willingness to give us some of your time.”

Wade smiled as he clasped his hands, “I want to be here.  I want to help you and Dixie.”

“I can’t imagine that we would take up too much of your time,” Bob answered.  “Your work with the governor sounds really important compared to the work of the mayor of Hilliard.  We wouldn’t want to keep you from it very long.”

Again, Wade turned to Dixie.  He shook his head as if he were scolding her.

“You really haven’t told him anything!”

Wade turned back to Bob.  Placing his hands, palms downward on the table, he leaned in close to Bob.

“The governor and I have had several discussions about you, Bob.  When Dixie contacted me to share you were thinking of running for mayor, I shared it with the governor.  See, he is in the last sixteen months of his last term as governor.  He is planning on retiring and not seeking any further political offices.  But he is concerned with leaving a solid legacy.

“One of our discussions was a conference call, the governor, me, and Dixie.  The governor asked a lot of questions about your character, even though he knew he was speaking with the person who was most inclined to think positively of you

“During that conversation, the governor asked about your current employment and how you were performing there.  Dixie suggested he contact Evan Schmitt to avoid any bias she might have.  Dixie’s own better character was showing with that suggestion, so the governor decided to act.  He called Mr. Schmitt and got feedback from him that was consistent with Dixie’s comments on your character.  By the way, he asked Schmitt to not share with you and judging by your reaction, he didn’t share.”

Bob was stunned.

“How could I have not known that all this was happening?”

“This kind of thing happens all the time,” Wade reassured Bob.  “In fact, I imagine that you have already experienced this vetting process between Charlie Hughes and Cain Johnson.”

“But,” Bob blurted out, “how did you know about them?”

“The governor knows a lot about what is going on throughout the state.  Because of his many years in public service, he has developed quite a pipeline for information.  Of course, it didn’t hurt that Dixie was keeping me informed, too.”

Wade paused for a moment, appearing to be catching his breath.  Bob’s mind was spinning like a wild ride at Six Flags.  Wade then leaned back and folded his arms.

“So now, Bob, is your moment of decision.  The governor has sent me here to help.  As family, I want to help you even more.  I am sure that Cain Johnson offered to help you, as well.  You won’t need to move forward without help from someone.  The question is, who’s help are you going to accept.”

“Bob,” Dixie interjected, “you mentioned dancing with the devil.  I assume that the devil you meant was Cain Johnson.  Please understand, that I will support you in whatever decision and whatever direction you choose to go.  I don’t see this as a political party decision, but a personal moral decision.

“If something feels wrong to you, your faith, our faith, teaches us to not proceed.  It is highly likely that whatever it is, it is a wrong decision.  I have never seen you do anything that you had reservations about and I find that integrity very,” she paused, “attractive.

“Never have I seen you simply take the path of least resistance.  I can count on you to do what is right.  I don’t mean to sound like I am leading you to a certain decision, but I must say that it does seem clear to me.”

Bob jumped in, “Dixie, I am caught off guard that you did so much of this on your own without me, but I can see why.  You let me have the experience as a self-test of my motives, as well as my values.

“Wade, are you willing to guarantee me that I will win the election for the mayor of Hilliard?”

A look of shock first crossed Wade’s face.  He looked to his left, as if searching for words.

“This is what Cain Johnson promised me if I would do his bidding,” Bob added.

“I’m sorry, Bob, but if you want a promise like that, I cannot help you,” Wade replied downcast.

Bob reached over and placed a hand on Wade’s shoulder.  Looking him in the eye, Bob continued.

“That is the answer I want to hear.  This election needs to be won, not manipulated.  I will not accept a position I have not done the work to earn.

“Wade, what do we do next?”