There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it. —  Alfred Hitchcock                     

It was a solemn affair.  

The outfits of the group reflected their moods. Timothy and Juan spotted navy blue blazers and matching trousers with sparkling button-down white shirts. 

The ladies — Iris and Paloma looked elegant in grey sheath dresses with black pumps. 

Paloma's eyes drifted out the window of the car and connected with the building she called home. Sober eyes of her mother, Alexa, and Salvador stared back at her from their place on the porch.  Her lips broke into a reassuring smile as she gazed at them.

"Are we set?" Timothy asked from behind the wheel. 

"Yes!" Iris and Paloma chorused. 

With a nod, Timothy turned on the engine, veered out of the driveway, and onto the road. 

Silence loomed over them as they drove to their destination. 

Paloma clutched the bag placed on her lap—the bag that held the reason for their journey. 

Familiar buildings and structures flashed passed as they sped down the road. 

And then they zoomed into the heart of the city. The part that housed the fortresses of the rich and wealthy. 

Paloma's eyes dimmed as she stared at the exquisite automobiles parked in the driveways of mansions with manicured lawns gleaming under the sun. 

"Vanity upon vanity is vanity," Iris muttered. 

You got that right! Paloma thought. 

They flew past more properties that reeked of wealth. Paloma's eyes touched on most of them. Anger welled within her as she thought of the glaring difference between that part of the city and the part where she came from. 

Her hold on the bag tightened.  

How can things be so unequal? 

Why do some people live in squalor but others reside in abundance?

Anguish coursed through her as the unanswered questions raced through her mind. 

Her anguish shifted to unease as their destination came to view. 

Steelfort’s government house was a looming presence smack dab in the middle of the city. A pretentious piece of architecture combining the stark features of old stonework with sleek modern touches. The building looked heavy, bearing down on its foundations just as the men and women inside kept their subjects downtrodden. 

The tension in the car thickened as the group stared at the intimidating structure. 

A lump formed in Paloma's throat and she struggled to push it down. 

"I guess this is it!" Timothy said with eyes gazing at the towering building. He maneuvered into the guest parking lot and turned off the engine. 

The group sat in silence waiting for someone to make the first move— a move everyone was frightened to make. 

Finally, Paloma heaved a sigh and pushed the door open. "I guess we should be going." She slipped out and hoisted the bag on her shoulders. The bag was sparsely filled but the pressure weighed down on her shoulder. 

Juan opened his door; Timothy and Iris repeated the action. The group approached the stone steps. Eyes of the people littered around landed on them but they remained unfazed. Soon they reached the front entrance much narrower in breadth than expected based on the wideness of the steps out front. 

An unassuming wooden door propped open by an overly ornate stop. Paloma shivered as her eyes stopped on the shape of a snarling dog carved into the door. The metal door stop lacked charm or beauty but served its function regardless. 

The door swung open and the interior of the government’s house entry chamber exuded a warm aesthetic Paloma reveled in. In contrast, the overactive air conditioning caused goosebumps to rub on her bare arms. 

Amberish wood panels comprised the walls, lit by a delicate chandelier made of a thousand dangling crystals. A drab receptionist’s desk in the back of the room stood as a sour note in the visual symphony. 

The group padded over to the receptionist with pretended confidence displayed. Cold gust of wind slapped against Paloma's ankles as she walked. 

“Good morning,” the receptionist said, nudging his glasses up his nose, “how may I help you?”

Timothy stepped forward with straight shoulders. "We would like to meet the governor." 

The receptionist produced a chuckle and beady eyes traced over their faces in scrutiny. "If you are here for charity then you won't get anything." He stuck his nose up. 

Paloma balled her fist and took a stand beside her father. "We are not here for any charity. We have some pressing matters to discuss with him." Her back stiffened and her head lifted into a proud tilt. 

 "And what important matters could people like you have with the governor?" He peered at her with a quirked brow.

"Matters you are too unintelligent to comprehend I believe," Iris snapped and took the spot beside Paloma. 

His lips grew thin and he threw daggers at her. 

"At least please refer us to someone who will give us some audience," Juan said in a calm tone from his place beside Timothy.   

The receptionist's expression darkened. "No one is available to attend to you. Show yourselves out." His eyes flickered to the laptop in front of him.  

Paloma felt her anger increase and she counted one to five under her breath to calm herself. 

She drew closer to the receptionist's desk and pinned him with a hard stare. 

"We are not leaving here until we do what we came to do," Paloma said with determination.   

The receptionist's face turned grim and he scowled. "In that case, the security will assist you out." His eyes hardened and he shrieked, "Secur—"

"Ricardo, what's going on here?" A stern voice cut him off.  

Everyone whirled to face the newcomer. A young woman with silvery blue eyes and blonde hair stared back at them. 

"Nothing that concerns you!" Ricardo snapped. 

The lady rolled her eyes but didn't reply. She swung to the group with a pleasant smile on her face. "Hello, is there anything I can help you with?" 

Paloma's heart swelled with joy and she stepped forward with a smile. "Thank you. We would like to have a word with the governor."

"Or with anyone who has the power to change things around here," Iris added with a wave of her hand. 

 "I don't know if I would be able to arrange a meeting with the governor himself but I could put in a word for you to his wife whom I work for." The lady's smile didn't waver. "May I ask what the reason for the meeting is?" 

"Um…" Paloma's eyes flickered to the receptionist who hadn't stopped listening to the conversation. 

"Uh, it's not something to be discussed in public. If you know what I mean," Iris said. 

"I understand." Amusement flickered in the lady's eyes. Her eyes darted to the receptionist. "You know what, Ricardo, I will handle this."

He huffed. "Suit yourself; you are digging your grave." 

The lady's smile broadened. "I am glad it's mine and not yours." She turned back to the group. "Please come with me." 

They fell in step behind her as she led them down a corridor. Anxiety surged through Paloma as passers-by gawked at them with curiosity. 

Finally, the lady turned into a corner and flung a door open. The group stalled at the threshold even as the lady slipped in. 

"Please come in." She turned to face them with a kind grin.  

They nodded and took frightful steps into the office. Paloma scanned around. A desk and round table with room for three chairs took up most of the space. Fluffy curtains added a cozy charm to the room. 

"Please have your seat." She gestured to the chairs in front of the desk. 

Iris and Paloma occupied the two empty chairs while the men remained standing. 

The lady smiled and slid into the chair behind the desk.  "So…now that we are away from prying eyes and ears, would you mind telling me what you wish to discuss with the governor." 

Paloma leaned forward a little. "Uh…we are here to submit a petition to stop the upcoming deforestation." 

"Oh?" An indecipherable glint flashed in her eyes—an expression akin to recognition. 

"Hmmm, I don't think the governor will be happy to hear that." Frown lines marred her forehead. 

"Of course, we expect that!" Timothy exclaimed. "But it is necessary for the proposed deforestation to be stopped." 

The lady slowly nodded. "I understand! From my little knowledge about the plan, I believe deforestation of the forest will ruin a lot of things. Especially for the people of less income." 

"Exactly!" Paloma's lips lifted into a smile. "I am glad you understand." She leaned forward with hope gleaming in her eyes. "So would you help us?"

An aghast look marred the lady's face "Hmm…I don't know if I can help…the actions of the government can be quite unpredictable." Terror shone in her eyes. "Why don't you submit the petition through the government petition website?" 

"We would have done that if the petition would be noticed. It clearly stated that the government hadn't opened the site for close to two years now." Timothy rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. 

The lady grimaced. "That's terrible!" 

Sure is! Paloma thought and her anger for the government resurfaced. 

Silence fell over the group as the minds of everyone raced with ideas and possible solutions. 

"I got an idea!" Someone squealed. 

Everyone swung to face a beaming Iris. 

"What's that?" Paloma rushed out. 

"Well, we could always submit the petition through the website, and then you—" She turned to face the lady, "you could always bring the petition to the attention of the governor's wife. How does that sound?" 

"That's a good idea." Paloma nodded her head. "However, would that work?" She turned to the lady with a questioning look. 

The lady's brows furrowed. "Considering the circumstances…I don't think so. It would seem out of place to suddenly speak to her about petitions. It would bring rise to questions."

"Yeah, you got a point. We don't want unnecessary attention." 

Paloma's heart at the new roadblock. However, an idea formed in her mind. A grin formed on her lips. 

"And what's the reason for your smile?" Juan asked. 

Her smile increased. "I have another idea and I believe it will work." 

"Well then, don't hold back." 

She exhaled as she gathered her thoughts. "Well…it's a modified version of Iris's idea." Her eyes flickered to the lady. "I reckon you handle her emails, right?"

"Yes, I do. Her emails come to me and then I forward them to her. She likes to cross-check everything herself." 

"That might just work in our favor." Paloma beamed. "My idea is that we could send the petition to her email and then you forward it to her among her other mails. And if she asks you then you claim you weren't aware it was among. How does that sound?" She scanned their faces with excitement bubbling within her. 

"Hmmm, it is a good idea," Timothy said with a thoughtful look. "What do you think, Miss, it's your call." 

Paloma turned to the lady with anticipation welling within her. 

Lord, please, let the plan work. 

Don't let us depart from here unaccomplished. 

Paloma inwardly prayed as they waited for her response. She watched a slow grin spread across the woman's lips. 

"I can help you with that." The lady's smile widened. 

"Oh my word, that's wonderful!" Paloma cried as her face lit up with joy. 

Beside and behind her, Timothy, Juan, and Iris expressed her happiness with huge grins. 

"So here is what shall be done…" Paloma opened the bag on her lap and pulled out a laptop. She turned on the laptop and set it up. "First of all, please, what is her email address?" She tossed the lady a quick look. 

The lady read out an email address which Paloma typed in. 

"Thank you," Paloma said with her eyes glued to the laptop screen. "Done!" She announced a few seconds later. 

A ping sounded from the open laptop in front of the lady.

"Great! It has been received!" She produced a smile. 

Paloma felt some of the burdens on her shoulder wash away and she shared a smile with her family. 

"Uh, please, give me a few minutes to sort out the other mails so that I can forward them to her." 

"No problem!" 

A hush fell over the room as the lady worked away on the laptop. 

Paloma counted the seconds and murmured words of prayer.  

"Yes!" The lady exclaimed. "Mission accomplished." 

Relief shimmered on the faces of the group. 

"Thank God!" Paloma looked heavenward.  

The lady grinned. "I am sure once she gets back from her lunch break she will see it.  Although, it might take a while since she takes pride in reading every email including the unimportant ones." She rolled her eyes.  

Iris released a chuckle.  

"And yes, I believe you guys should take your leave now. She is probably heading back to the office and it may not end well if she meets you here."

"Yeah, you are right!" Paloma said and packed her things. 

A few minutes later, the Jaramillo group was on their feet. They gazed at the woman with smiles on their faces. 

Paloma stepped forward and stretched out a hand that the lady clasped. 

 "Thank you so much, Miss…" Paloma trailed off with a frown as she realized she didn't know the lady's name. 

The lady smiled in understanding. "Ramona; my name is Ramona. What's yours?"

Paloma's smile broadened. "Thank you so much, Ramona. You have been such a great help to us. We will never forget the favor you did for us," Paloma said with sincerity. "And my name is Paloma." 

"Ooh, really? I believe I have heard the name before but I can't place where and when. But that is such a beautiful name." She giggled.  

"Ahh, that's nice. And thank you! You have a lovely name as well." Paloma grinned. 

Ramona whispered "thank you" with a smile. 

Timothy cleared his throat to gain her attention. He stepped forward with a smile. "Thank you so much, dear! We shall forever be grateful to you." Timothy said with a voice filled with emotions.  

Juan and Iris added their own words of gratitude. 

Ramona shook her head and her eyes sparkled. "I didn't do anything great. Rather I thank you all for taking up such a noble cause and I feel honored to have been a part of it." A soft smile played on her lips. "I hope everything goes well and you get the desired result." 

"Yeah, I hope so too." Paloma's smile fell a little as she thought of the government's reaction to the petition. She dismissed the negative thoughts threatening to come up and smiled at Ramona. "I do hope we meet again in a lighter atmosphere."

"Yeah, I hope so too. We could get to know each other better and become friends." Her face lit up with excitement. 

Paloma smiled and nodded. "Anyway, I guess it's goodbye for now." 

"Yeah, it is!" Ramona asserted in a low tone. 

The group said their goodbyes and soon they were off. They departed with a satisfied heart of accomplishing the last lap of their goal. 

However, their satisfaction and happiness were tainted by the anticipation of what the government will do next.  

                            ★★★★★

Oh yay, we finally submitted the petition! What are your thoughts on that?

And how do you think the government will react when they find out?

The comments section shouldn't be left desolate.

Also, don't forget to 👇

Vote⭐

Share.

Until next time, anticipate great things 😁