Rumors of Waffles & Wars

Posted on Fri Nov 26th, 2021 @ 11:43pm by President Gabriel Helman & Mrs. Tara Helman (*) & Mr. Brandon Helman (*) & Mr. Jim Brady (*) & Ms. Sophia Helman (*)
Edited on on Sat Nov 27th, 2021 @ 2:02pm

Mission: So Help Me, God
Location: Blair House
Timeline: Friday, January 13, 8:15am

The morning routine was nothing new, and it helped to keep Gabe Helman stabilized, no matter what was changing in his life. He started every day off the same way. He woke up at 7am, said some quick prayers, popped over to the nearest gym for a workout, and then he showered, dressed, and had breakfast. He did it in college at Columbia in Chicago; he did it before work at the High School where he was a history teacher in Cambridge Public Schools; he did it as a Professor of History at the University of Indiana; he did it in the mayor's office in Bloomington, and in the governor's office in Indianapolis. Now he was doing it at Blair House a week before he was set to take the oath of office as 45th President of the United States.

He entered the dining room, his hands finding his blue tie and making sure it was straight. He had transitioned to the Presidential blue suits designed to resist low caliber bullets, and the extra weight was going to take some getting used to. His eyes quickly found his wife and two children sitting and waiting for him.

"Alright, he's here. Game time." his son said, his eyes focused now entirely on the plate of flood he had already gathered to himself from the serving ware in the middle of the table. He could put away an entire cow for how much time the boy spent in the gym.

"Good morning to you too." Gabe said, a slight smile on his face as he pulled out a chair and joined the other Helmans around the round table. He looked at his wife, smiling more deeply. "I see the move hasn't hurt Brandon's appetite any."

"I think he's eating more, actually." she responded, moving her own fork toward her plate. "What's on your docket for today?"

"Well, first I have the Daily National Security Briefing with the Vice President."

"Oooo, is Nina going to try to start that war with Iran Santos can't seem to manage avoiding?" the soon-to-be first lady said, a smile on her pretty face.

He paused for a moment, looking at her as if he wasn't going to answer.

"We both know she'll try." he said, smiling finally. "Then I've got a million meetings where I appoint people to such and such a place."

"Ooo, Daddy, you should appoint me Secretary of Education, because I've got some ideas." his daughter said, her curly brown hair shaking as she moved her head back and forth. She was quiet and much more thoughtful and intelligent than her brother. Also, unlike him, she wasn't looking forward to being the President's kid.

"You're 17, that's close enough, right?" Gabe asked, looking at Sophia. "But if you don't like the attention you get now, wait till you have a job to do."

"On second thought, no thanks." she said, looking down at her own plate again, a thin grin on her face.

"Smart girl." Gabe said, adding a small amount of syrup to his waffles and starting to dig in.

The Helman family passed the next few minutes in silence as they children twiddled their thumbs between their meals and their cellphones, Tara read the newspaper, and Gabe read through his copy of the book "The Color Purple", a classic piece of black American literature which he'd never gotten around to reading until his mother placed it in his hands the other day.

"God, have you seen the papers, Gabriel?" Tara asked, her doe brown eyes leaving the page before her to rest on her husband. Her face was marked with concern. When Gabe shook his head, she started to read the front page. "US Naval airplane goes missing over the village of Anjirdan, Iran, declares sources at the Pentagon. The crew of 11 have gone missing as well, but their identities have not yet been released. This is the newest event in a long line of diplomatic acts between the Santos Administration and the middle eastern country. The White House was asked by our White House correspondent, but they have declined to comment at this time."

"Jeez, Daddy, are you sure you want this job?" he Sophia asked with a smile, looking at her father as she licked syrup from her lips.

"I'm less sure every day, kid." he said in response, and then turned to his wife again. "President Santos has been kicking this can down the road for months and Iran knows it. He doesn't want the last thing he does in his presidency to start a war."

"War? Is it that serious?" Brandon asked, his mouth slightly less full of waffles than it had been over the course of the past few minutes. "I mean...I know it's serious, but...war?"

"Anything could happen, Brandon. I hope it doesn't come to that, but it looks like it might turn out to be the first crisis of my presidency, all before it actually starts." He balled up his fist, but stopped himself from slamming it down on the table. He took a few calming breaths. "It also seems like the kind of thing the White House would call me to tell me, seeing as I'm going to become the President in a week."

"I'm sure they'll tell you all about it at the briefing." Tara said, placing her hand on Gabe's. "Don't worry about being told, Gabriel. In just a week, you're going to wish they would stop telling you."

The doors parted then and a thin young man with a baby face and a nervous look about him walked into the room. He was soon to become the Personal Aide to the President or "Body Man", as people in Washington referred to the role. He would hold the President's cellphone, his keys, and everything else and he would keep him on schedule.

"Mr. President-elect, the motorcade is ready to take you to Eisenhower." he said, his voice soft and high pitched.

"Is it that time already, Jimmy?" Gabe asked with a small smile, looking at the young man. He knew he was new to this job and that he would get used to it, but the man cut such a nervous figure. He wasn't sure why his staffing secretary recommended him for the job. For now, however, he would make the most of things and see how the kid did.

"Yes, sir. That's what the schedule tells me, at least." he said, smiling awkwardly, and then giving nods at the various members of the Helman family.

Gabe stood up and adjusted his tie. Pushing in his chair, he turned and kissed Tara on the lips, then went around the table kissing his kids on the foreheads. Finally done, he took Jim by the shoulder and walked him toward the dining room exit.

"Got any gum, Jimmy?"