Edward Rice knew it from the beginning of the vote. By the sheer incidental act of having a second slice of pie at the diner, the decision would be his. Cora’s cherry pie had always been his downfall and tonight it had made him late for the selectman’s meeting. Thus he took the one remaining seat on the board. Being the senior member on the board made no difference, it was always first come, first vote when it came to the selectman and of course last come, last vote.
Until Titan had closed, they hadn’t even had real seats, just folding chairs taken out every Monday. Tonight he squeezed through the crowds to the last available seat facing the townspeople. Crowds at meetings weren’t something new since the closing. Mostly they were made up of disgruntled laid off townspeople wanting to know what selectmen were going to do about jobs. Jobs which had now been outsourced. Good paying jobs, that people were used to. The company had built the town and now the company was no longer there. It’s former employees were now adrift at sea, with no income and no way to replace it.
Edward had been over the decision facing the selectmen a hundred times. His kitchen table was a testament to that. With Titan gone, so was the town’s tax base. A ripple effect of sorts. The town was hurting as much as the people. He was weary with worry. The last thing he wanted to do was cause more townspeople to lose their jobs. No matter how he put the puzzle together though, layoffs at all town departments were imminent.
One by one the vote went down the line. No one happy about it but everyone making the necessary cuts for the town’s survival. And now the vote was down to him. The vote to cut all town budgets by five percent. “Many nights recently, I have lost sleep over this vote,” Edward began. He glanced over at the town reporter eager to capture every word. “I have gone over and over the budgets. Taken them apart and reconstructed them more than once at my kitchen table and still I see no way to avoid such a cut. I vote yes.” The grumble from the audience was loudly audible. Everyone knew this vote involved more than budgets, it involved jobs, people and their lives. Edward looked over the crowd several times, all of them friends, towns people, potential voters and all angry. He locked eyes with a man in the back, one he didn’t recognize, someone new to town. Probably hired right before Titan closed. Edward left the meeting tireder than his retired body usually was.
Vinnie watched from the back row that night not saying much. He hadn’t been able to find another full time job after he’d been laid off from his last, so he was plowing for the town part time. He hated it, hated it as much as every other job he had had but he knew this was it, his last chance to be employed. And this job did give him plenty of time to study, to read and to plan. He locked eyes with the last selectman to come in, the one with the cherry stain on his tie. As that very selectman voted for cuts, and thus to unemploy the part timer again, Vinnie boiled inside. “The last shall be the first,” he muttered as he struggled to compose himself.
The layoffs started at the end of the very next week. The budget crisis came home to Vinnie, when he stopped to get his check and saw the letter it was wrapped up in. This was his bosse’s excuse, Vinnie fumed, crumpling his pay envelope in his hand as he waited at the bank. He knew his layoff couldn’t be avoided, not after the vote. He had his suspicions though too that the boss had found out about his last job and that’s why he wasn’t on full time in the first place.
It wasn’t his fault the last time either. His boss just knew how to push his buttons. And when you pushed Vinnie’s buttons just right he erupted. This time would be different. He would be the one pushing his own buttons. His eruptions would be planned and be aimed at those who caused his grief.
It was Friday. Edward Rice stopped for his cherry pie as he always did. “Another piece?” asked Cora.
“No last time I did that I was late for my selectman’s meeting. I don’t want to make that mistake again.”
“I read about that,” said Cora with a smile. “You had the deciding vote. It’s not your fault you know. It’s really no one’s fault. Except maybe Titan’s.”
“They’ve got to think of their bottom line too,” said Edward.
“I suppose you’re right there. The town will make it through. We have before and we will again.”
“Tell that to the voters,” Edward said while finishing his second piece of pie. Edward quickly walked into the selectman’s meeting with an unhappy solace, noting at least that he wasn’t the last one there tonight.
The meeting that night wasn’t any easier than the last one. The police chief reported he had let three of his part-timers go and one shift would now have to be covered by the state police. The fire department had a truck in need of repairs with no money to fix it.
Edward said goodbye to Michael, a younger selectman, and the others quickly that night. For once, he wanted to get home early, and just forget about the vote, forget about the towns peoples eyes staring at him wondering why he had voted to disrupt their lives in this way.
Edward quickly walked to the parking lot opened the car door and got inside. He drove toward the exit when out of nowhere a black pick up truck pulled from the side of the parking lot and cut Edward off. I didn’t see that coming, I must really be tired, thought Edward.
Several times in the next couple of days, Vinnie watched Edward from a distance. It was easy, he knew his car now. He had memorized his license plate. All he needed now was to memorize his routine. Vinnie could be patient, it’s not like he had a job to go to. Golf on Monday, sub-committee meeting on Tuesday, Groceries on Wednesday. Saturday Vinnie finally hit pay dirt.
Edward meanwhile felt the weight of the towns people on him. He had made the final vote. He had voted for layoffs and suffering and everyone knew it. He felt like the whole town was watching him constantly. He stopped off at Cora’s on a Saturday night several weeks later for dinner before his weekly poker game.
“You look tired,” said Cora.
” I still sit here with townspeople and voters watching my every move. Their jobs and their future have taken a drastic turn, because of my one vote.”
“I’m sure they understand the situation,” said Cora. “You need to stop beating yourself up about it. You did the courageous thing, what you were elected to do, make your decisions based solely on what is best for the town. Here,” said Cora “take home an extra pie. Maybe it will make you feel better.”
“Tax revenue will make me feel better.” said Edward. “But thanks anyway,” he said paying the bill and taking the pie on the way out. Edward slid into his seat with the pie next to him thinking maybe at least, he’ win at poker.
It wasn’t meant to be. By the third game with his old poker buddies, he was out of chips. “Just like our town,” Ike joked. Edward couldn’t smile, it was not funny.
“Well boys, I’m out. I think I’ll head home early tonight.” said Edward not long after the comment.
“Look,” said Dick, walking Edward to the door. “I’m sure Ike didn’t mean anything by it.”
“I know,” said Edward, “but I guess I just need some time to think this through.”
“Well then I’ll be seeing you tomorrow for coffee at Cora’s,” said Dick.
“See you then,” said Edward distractedly. The drive home seemed longer than usual. Edward pulled into the driveway and unlocked the back door. He placed the pie on the kitchen counter and closed the window that he often left open a crack or air and got himself some milk.
The living room drapes moved behind him as Edward turned on the television and flopped in his favorite overstuffed chair. He pushed the telephone over to make room for his milk. He heard the footsteps and turned, almost too late. Yet quick enough to hit 911 speed dial on the phone. As Edward dropped to the floor with a deadly thud, the phone fell out of his hand as an eerie recording on the other end said, “This is the Torsten Police Department, if you have an emergency please call the state police barracks.”
Vinnie left the house that night, satisfied he had finally controlled his eruption of temper and had enjoyed a piece of Cora’s special Volcanic Cherry Pie to boot. He would make it clear to everyone, no one laid off Vinnie. No one!