Page 27 of Voice to Raise
With yet another weary sigh, I headed over to my desk. I plopped into my chair and tapped my laptop.
It awoke and demanded a password.
I obliged it and soon the background of Moses popped up. I smiled, as I always did. No matter how horrible or crazy my day was, I could always count on some sanity when I got home.
Moses jumped onto my desk and attempted to walk on the keyboard.
“Hey.” I gently shoved him off.
He glared.
“Oh shit.” I rose and headed to the kitchen.
Damn cat was hard on my heels.
“I’m sorry. I meant to come home before the council meeting, but I got caught responding to emails, and then it was time to go to the meeting.” I offered this excuse to a cat who truly didn’t give a shit—just as long as I fed him. “You know, you have perfectly good kibble right here.” I nudged the bowl with my toe.
He sat next to the bowl and stared at me, clearly conveying his absolute disinterest in the food. He wanted the wet stuff, and he wanted it right now.
“Yeah, yeah.” I put the plate down with the perfectly portioned wet food.
Without even bothering to thank me, he dug in.
Wearily, I headed back to the computer.
Hesitantly, I checked the website of the developer of the social housing project.
We have received Vancouver Council approval…
Well, fuck me sideways. That definitely hadn’t been there when I’d checked a few hours ago.
I checked the local news website, and an article confirming the go-ahead had just appeared a few minutes ago. I scanned it and…
My heart sank.
First, I located a quote from that busybody who truly would be no worse off. Her home was several blocks from the proposed site, and herenjoymentwasn’t going to be affected. If she was bothered by all the people who couldn’t afford to buy two-million-dollar homes, she could suck my dick.
Gross. Just…gross.
The reporter made it clear not everyone in the neighborhood was against the development and some saw the densification as a good thing. Also a tacit acknowledgement it might make the area marginally less white.
What really caused my stomach to go into freefall was the paragraph about theinterruptionof council proceedings by none other than Malik Forestal.
Jesus Fucking Christ.
Now, my name didn’t appear, so hopefully the connection to This Land is Ours would remain hidden. I scanned the comments after the article, and nothing had popped up yet.
Yet.
Moses leapt onto the desk.
Absentmindedly, I petted him.
His purrs soothed me.
My phone rang.
At ten-twenty in the evening. Not a good sign.
