Chapter 2: Meeting the Senator

When you arrive in Washington D.C. for the first time

in your life, you feel a bit intimidated knowing your standing in the nations capital. You see all the monuments dedicated to some of the best leaders of our country and when you stand looking at the White House you get a strange feeling, knowing the most powerful man in the United States of America is less then a mile away from you. When you walk past people in the Mall who are wearing ID cards, you stare at them for a moment. Could they be your state senators? Are they CIA, FBI, or Secret Services men and women? Do they work for the President? Are

they going to be the next President? You feel a sense of pride knowing you're in the Hollywood of the American political world.

I had only spent about half an hour touring around until I was force to head off to the senator's house due to time. I arrived at around 4:00 in the afternoon. I arrived finding the senator's house to be rather large, with three floors, (not including the attic or basement) and a tall wall surrounding the house. From what I could see the wall was brick, but it was hard to say as it was all over grown with ivy right up to the tall iron

gate.

I pulled up to the gate. I noticed a little speaker in the wall, and rolled down my window while began thinking of what to do next. I needn't of worried however, for the second the window was down a voice spoke to me.

"Name and purpose of visit," a male voice began.

"Erm, my name's Maria Augusta, and I'm the new teacher... for the children."

There was a moments pause before the voice continued.

"Ah yes, Ms. Augusta please pull around to the front steps."

Then the gates slowly began to swing open; a stone driveway leading to the biggest house I had seen in my life. The house was made of gray stone with red shudders on either side of each window. I drove

straight about ten feet, then turned right and drove half way around the looping driveway where I then stopped right next to the steps leading to the entrance. I turned off the car and got out. I lowered my sunglasses onto my nose and looked around at where I was to be living for some time. It was a rather nice lot. By the gate I had just come through, were big, green bushes with huge pink flowers growing along the wall. I supposed that these bushes were used to hide the wall. I then followed the wall, which continued down either side of the driveway, where it disappeared going behind the house. From following the wall, my eyes were then drawn again to the house with its stunning gray, stone walls

and red shutters. The house also had red doors, which spilled out onto a short stairway, which then led to the stone driveway. On both sides of the stairs were handrails that matched the gate, and little pink rose bushes. A loud BANG sounded as the gate closed behind me, brought me back to awareness and I immediately spotted a tall, bald man dressed in a black suit standing at the top of the stairs in front of me. As

soon as I looked up at him, he came swiftly down the stair and crossed the driveway to me.

"Hello," he began, "My name is James. I'm the Easton's

butler."

"Oh, well hello James," I said brightly, "My name is Maria."

"Nice to meet you. And your luggage?"

"Yes... it's back in the trunk..."

He was no longer by my side, but instead opening the trunk door and removed my belongings. After he removed everything I still owned, and began carrying it up the stairs.

"Excuse me," I began, "but, what should I do about, well um, about my car?"

"Ah yes," he said with a bit of a laugh in his voice while he set down a few bags, "thank you for reminding me."

With that he clapped his hands three times and a man dressed in a red suit appeared at the top of the steps, then came trotting down to my side, where he then stuck out his hand, palm facing upwards. "This," said James and bet over to pick my stuff up once more, "is Paul. He is in charge of valet... if you give him your keys, he will park your car for

you."

I turned over my keys and followed James up the stars. We entered the foyer of the house, and I was not surprised to see that it was even grander than the outside. When you enter the white walled, white

marble floored foyer you are faced by four stair cases, two diagonally to the right of you and two diagonally to the left. The two innermost staircases go upwards and are curved, almost like crescent moons yet with not as much of an angle. The outermost stars fill into the wall and lead downwards. In-between the crescent stairs, on the stairways and

on the landing above were white marble banisters that were in places to prevent one from falling. I noticed the butler give a little glance upward and when I looked I saw the biggest, prettiest chandelier I had ever seen in my life. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that James had a small smile on his face. I suppose as I look back on that day now that I did look rather silly standing there wide eyed, mouth open looking around at someone's foyer, even though it was truly stunning.

"Maria, if you would please wait here, I will go put your belongings in your room and bring the senator," James announced and left.

"Oh, y-yes that would be lovely," I murmured, still in a state of shock.

I stood for a moment alone in the foyer, looking at a few things I hadn't noticed on the initial scan. There were a few pretty, rather expensive looking vases and pictures places around me. I decided to go

and look at some of them while I waited for the senator. I was admiring a very pretty vase when I heard footsteps once more. I turned around and saw a man standing at the top of the left, crescent staircase on the far side of the room from me. I recognized him immediately as Senator

Easton. I smiled then began to cross the room as he descended down the stairs. I stuck out my hand and shook his, giving a big smile.

"It's an honor to meet you Senator Easton," I said.

"Oh, why thank you... Maria, is it?" he asked, his voice full of politeness.

"Yeah," I said, falling into another state of shock. It was a bit strange coming face to face with a guy you had only seen on TV before. I finally let go of his hand, smiling as he began to speak again.

"I figured we would just go over some basics before I called the children down... if that all right with you?"

"Oh yes, perfectly fine," I said in a cheerful voice.

"Firstly, you will take care of my children every day of the week, except Sundays which you will have off to do what you please. I have to ask you, now that you're working for me, not to do... well 'silly' things in public-"

"Oh sir," I said, cutting him off, "you won't have to worry about that... I don't normally drink and I have never smoked or done drugs." I said with my ever-present smile.

"Right, well good. Don't start now," he said, " Now, as I was saying, please don't get caught doing stupid things or I'm afraid I'll have to fire you. Next, this goes along with the last item... you must portray a

good public image when you go out from now on. There is a chance you could get photographed and I don't want to have any embarrassing situations to deal with," he continued on with a serious voice.

"Now, about the children. You will school them daily from 8:00am to 5:00pm taking a one hour lunch break from 1:00pm to 2:00pm. You may give them no extra time, but you may take away time when they don't behave properly. Next, you may notice that you have a TV inside your room. Under no circumstances are the children allowed to watch that TV or any other TV in this house, is that understood?"

I was standing there with a rare frown on my face, looking rather uncertain.

"But," I began, "why in heavens not?"

"Because there is inappropriate stuff out there, and with all the stuff going on in the world-"

"But sir," I cut him off again hastily, "There are also lovely things that children love, like cartoons and you mean to tell me that the children have no idea what is going on in the world right now, let alone your job-"

It was his turn to cut me off.

"Yes Miss Augusta, and you will not be the one to tell them, is that clear?"

"Yes, but don't they see it when they go out or use the Internet," I questioned, feeling rather annoyed that someone could keep their children so confined.

"Why, thank you," said the senator curtly, who I could tell was getting rather annoyed with me, "for bringing up the next two items of order on my list. First, all the sites on the Internet that I deem inappropriate are blocked off to my children."

I was about to ask how that was possible when he said something so shocking that I totally forgot about the Internet.

"Secondly," he began very seriously "my children don't go out. They are allowed to go into the yard, but they must never, under any circumstance pass that wall, do you understand me Miss. Augusta?"

For the second time in 15 minuets I was standing in the foyer with both my mouth and eyes widened.

"But sir," I began frowning again, lines of frustration showing on my forehead, "why in the world..."

"I do not have to answer your silly question, Miss Augusta. These are my instructions to you and I expect you to fallow them, or... there will be

consequences!"

He then smiled at me, and changing his tone to a bit lighter, friendlier tone began talking to me once more.

"Now, I'm guessing you would like to meet the children."

Without even waiting for a reply, he walked over to a phone that was lying on one of the fancy tables in the foyer, picked up the receiver and pushed a button. He then spoke, his voice echoing throughout the house.

"Children, to the foyer please."

After replacing the receiver, he turned to face the crescent shaped stairs.