we release the liberty

“They’re comparing us to Nixon!” 

The volume on the television was turned up slightly. The man watching ran his sweaty palms through his tangled mane. “Can you believe this, D.C?”

D.C. pressed his palms against the cool glass in his hands, not raising his gaze. Years of work down the drain. It hadn’t nearly been worth the brandy.

“I can’t believe this!” his former co-worker called from his perch in front of the television. “It was a dinner event and they’re treating it like treason.” 

“We shouldn’t have done it. We were wrong to go,” D.C. called back cooly.

“Everybody slips up in finding their footing on this one.” 

“But we aren’t everyone. We are their leaders. We don’t get to live a higher life because of our titles. We are meant to live a more restrictive one. Respectable. To represent the interests of so many, we release the liberty to be so rash.”

His co-worker’s face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger, eyes still glued to the tv. 

“We were wrong,” D.C. stated once again, “and now we have no choice but to do what we should have always done, look at their best interests.” 

“And? What does that mean we do?”

“We resign.”

-b 

August, 26 2020