The Dinner Roll

The Dinner Roll...

 

Once upon a time I was invited to the White

House for a private dinner with the President.

 
I am a respected businessman, with a factory

that produces memory chips for computers

and portable electronics.

 
There was some talk that my industry was

being scrutinized by the administration,

but I paid it no mind.  I live in a FREE country.

There's nothing that the government can do

to me if I've broken no laws.  My wealth was

EARNED honestly, and an invitation to dinner

with an American President is an honor.

 
I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief

of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow

dining room. 
 

We sat across from each other at a table

draped in white linen. The Great Seal was

embossed on the china.  Uniformed staff

served our dinner.

 

The meal was served , and I was startled

when my waiter suddenly reached out,

plucked a dinner roll off my plate and

began nibbling it as he walked back to the

kitchen.. 

 

"Sorry 'bout that," said the President. "Andrew

is very hungry." 
 

"I don't appreciate..." I began, but as I looked

into the calm brown eyes across from me, 

I felt immediately guilty and petty.  It was just

a dinner roll. "Of course," I concluded, and

reached for my glass.
 

Before I could, however, another waiter

reached forward, took the glass away and

swallowed the wine in a single gulp.  

"And his brother, Eric, is very thirsty," said

the President.

 
I didn't say anything.  The President is

testing my compassion, I thought.  I with

held my comments and decided to play

along.  I don't want to seem unkind..

 
My plate was whisked away before I had

tasted a bite.

 
"Eric's children are also quite hungry."

With a lurch, I crashed to the floor.  My chair

had been pulled out from under me.

 
I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and

watched as it was carried from the room.

 
And their grandmother can't stand for long."

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but

inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had

been invited to the White House to be

sport for some game.  I reached for my coat,

to find that it had been taken.

 
I turned back to the President.

"Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."

I wanted to shout, "that was my coat!"  But

again, I looked at the placid smiling face of

my host and decided I was being a poor sport.

I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled.

 
Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my

wallet was gone.  I excused myself and

walked to a phone on an elegant side table.

 
I learned shortly that my credit cards had

been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied,

my retirement and equity portfolios had

vanished, and my wife had been thrown

out of our home.

 
Apparently, the waiters and their families

were moving in.  The President hadn't moved

or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I

lowered the phone into its cradle and turned

to face him.

 
"Andrew's whole family has made bad

financial decisions.  They haven't planned

for retirement and they need a house. 

They recently defaulted on a subprime

mortgage.  I told them they could have your

home.  They need it more than you do."

 
My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled

back to the table and knelt on the floor.

 
The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate

his steak, and drank his wine.  I lowered my

eyes and stared at the small grey circles on

the tablecloth that were water drops.

 
"By the way," he added , "I have just signed

an Executive Order nationalizing your factories.

 
I'm firing you as head of your business.  I'll

be operating the firm now for the benefit of all

mankind.

 
There's a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews

out there and they can't come to you for jobs

groveling like beggars..we need to spread

YOUR wealth around..."

 
I looked up.  The President dropped his

spoon into the empty ramekin which had

been his crème Brule.

 
He drained the last drops of his wine.  As

the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and

leaned back in his chair.

 
He stared at me. I clung to the edge of the

table as if it were a ledge and I were a man

hanging over an abyss.

 
I thought of the years behind me, of the life

I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime

of work, risk and struggle.

 
Why was I punished?  How had I allowed it

to be taken?  What game had I played and

lost? I looked across the table and noticed

with some surprise that there was no game

board between us.

 
What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, the

President suddenly cocked his head, locked

his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million

teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands.

 
"You should have stopped me at the dinner roll,"

he said.

 

WAKE UP AMERICA!

Thanks Terence!