Writer's Notebook

Life on the election trail wasn't exactly harduous; at least not in our little village of Gensdouce. My days were now filled the usual round of meetings, consultations, visiting dignitaries etc. and my favourite, doorstep canvassing. There was nothing better going round the houses, knocking on doors and listening to people explaining how they wanted their town to be run. For that was the kind of Mayor I wanted to be - one who listened to the people, not just some bureacrat hidden away in his office, and taking the pulse of the village at dinner gatherings with his friends from town.

My team consisted of Thérèse and Guillaume, Jean and three others I hadn't really known that well but who proved to be more than competent. I'd wanted Morgana in too, but Thérèse felt that might make things look too much like a family matter; and Thérèse wouldn't budge an inch despite all Morgana's cajoling. Besides, somebody would have to take over the directorship at the espace loisirs in my, at least, temporary absence. The board asked Morgana to do just that and she accepted with grace, although I knew full well she'd have much prefered to be in the thick of things with me. However, she was allowed to attend our end of the day run-down, and proved to be a tremendous encouragement to us all.

Our problem was that we were getting conflicting signals. On the doorsteps people were really happy to talk to us and many expressed openly their desire to see change in Gensdouce. Yet, the polls still gave Mayor Demille a strong lead, and at meetings doubts were often expressed as to my experience and my ability to lead a team who were going to have to face head-on a number of exacting problems; after all, unlike Mayor Demille I didn't even have a university education. If they only knew that I'd been kicked out of school at 15...

Mayor Demille's campaign had been quite subdued in comparison. Not once had his infamous reared its ugly head. Instead, je preferred to play the dual card of trust and experience. The people had given them his confidence now for three terms in a row. He had never let them down, not once. They could trust him. His experience was proven. Never once did he attack me personally, no doubt his advisers made him steer well clear of the nationality question... but he didn't even question my youth and evident lack of experience. Rumours soon began circulating that he was getting tired of the fight; some even went as far as to say he would be glad to lose and to get some peace and quiet. But I didn't trust him, nor did I trust the dark-haired recluse he had hired to help run his campaign. I always felt they were keeping something up their sleeve; just when things were going fine, out it would come at a most inopportune moment and catch me on the wrong foot.

But the only thing that did wrong foot me, was an announcement Morgana made one night. We'd just returned from one of the many meetings I'd had to address and were enjoying a quiet cup of herbal tea together before hitting the sack, when she suddenly produced 'to do' list, containing all the things that had to be done before the next nine months were over.