He stepped out of the shower and lightly tossed the newspaper, which had been sitting on the counter, into the trash. He grabbed his plain white towel and started drying off. His towel was still a bit damp from earlier that morning. 9:00 pm, one week after the election was over.
Gary finished drying off, brusquely, and looked at the mirror. It was so foggy in the steamy room he was almost unseen. Gary cleared the fog off the mirror. His reflection caught his eye.
“Mr. President,” Gary said sardonically. He gave a half-hearted chuckle and stared.
It would have been crazy to think he could have won. Never in a million years, as he was told even by those close to him, would the American people pick anyone besides the two superstar personalities he was up against. Today, it seemed bizarre for him to think he was against two of the most recognizable names in America.
He never made it to the debates, but he got over it. He never really met a strong supporter, but he got over that too. It was a bizarre election cycle, sure, and he never thought he could have won. But something inside of him felt down. Some part of him, some small piece that allowed him a brief moment of whimsy, that let him say “what if”, kept buzzing.
He hadn’t shared the stage, but he shared the spotlight – to some extent. He never owned a poll, but he certainly split the numbers. He wasn’t a player, he told himself, but he was a factor.
He turned his head side to side and observed himself, wondering how he had looked on TV. Then it rang in his head again. “What is Aleppo?”
“And, what is Aleppo?”
He let out a laugh and gave himself a wry smile. The smile gave way to a grimace, which gave way to a strained inhale. He didn’t lose it for himself, he knew that to be true. He didn’t lose it because it was never his to win. But something inside him still buzzed.
Gary wiped some stray water off the counter, washed his hands, and walked away from the mirror.
Character Studies from the 2016 Election Season 