Rachel's dream (ii)

When he finished, Rachel leaned over the table to him as he stood at the microphone and reminded him that he was also to lead the room in the pledge to the flag, which he promptly did. It was a little confusing because there was a flag in every corner, so the audience and those on stage started to turn in different directions, and then looked to the minister to see in which direction he looked. He looked to the flag over Rachel’s right shoulder, which she was unaware of until the pledge had begun, so was late in turning around. She thus recited the pledge with the lower half of her body facing forward while her upper torso was twisted to the right so she could see the flag, It was awkward.

As all took their seats and the program was to continue, Rachel looked again to the paper on the table in front of her, but could not make sense of it. There were typed words, but also handwriting between every line and in the margins. It looked as if someone had made notes in every available space, a program one might have after an event with inscriptions or inspirations born during the event and jotted down so as not to forget. She quickly stepped to another part of the stage where there were additional copies of the program, but they were all the same, all with the writing; there was no clean agenda of what was to happen next.

She returned to the microphone and attempted to adjust it to a more comfortable height while the audience and the people on stage waited and waited. The microphone developed technical problems with a hiss and scratches and everyone continued to wait.

And then event was over.