The cold steel feel of the bench was comforting against my warm body, it helped me remember I was still alive and this was all not a dream. Every civilian in the city was asleep but I was not alone; I was never alone anymore. A dozen figures dressed in black stood throughout the park watching over me, protecting me, keeping me sane.
A long, rectangular pool of water in front of me sparkled under the moon and a lone duck sat on the water in the middle. It made a quacking noise every time I threw a stone in the water trying to make ripples in the smooth liquid surface.
My mind was somewhere else, far away from this place full of character, history and memories. The grandness of the city no longer impressed me but rather made me fear I could not handle it. Memories of my childhood, memories of my hometown haunted me. Memories of my first visit to this city were still fresh in my mind. The memory of my first autumn in this city; the fall of the leaves and the brightness of the sun high up in the sky and Johnny.


In the Fall of 2006, I finally landed my dream job in New York City after seven years of grueling studying. With a political science BA diploma and a law degree diploma from the University of Florida in my hands, I packed up my belongings, my dreams and my believes, and headed up North. Crammed up in my VW Beetle, I drove the 1,000 miles from Florida and New York accompanied only by my thoughts and my collection of Ricardo Arjona CDs.
I only had a couple of days to get to my new apartment so, sightseeing was out of the question, but when the signs of Washington, DC started coming up along Interstate road 95, I found myself slowly turning the steering wheel into the exit's direction.
I parked my car near the Union Station, not only because it was the first place I found a free parking space, but because I figured that if I got lost during my walk among the sites I could just hop on a cab and ask the driver to take me to Union Station. Once the gateway to the city, Union Station had become a bustling meeting place filled with shops, restaurants and entertainment venues rather than a railroad station. After buying a map of the city at one of the gift shops inside Union Station, I walked outside the building's automatic doors and into the city that would later become too familiar.
October was barely over and the winds of the cold season to come were already making their way through the streets of the city. I remember walking down the sidewalks as I watched the orange leaves dance in the wind like little fairies possessed by the spirit of Winter. I only had a few of hours to try and see most of the monuments, federal buildings and museums. I wanted to make sure I left the city before rush hour kicked in; I only had four hours.

I walked down 1st Street, just a couple of blocks south of Union Station, and found myself standing on the steps of the Supreme Court building; a perfect way to begin my tour of the city. This building is to me what Fenway Park is to the Red Sox fans. The building was the epitome of everything I believed in and everything I wanted to be. Everything from the marble steps that led to the building's huge bronze doors, to its sixteen Greek-like marble columns and to the words written on the architrave above the columns that read EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW, made me want to be a lawyer even more than ever. I stepped into the building and inspected it as carefully and as quickly as I could. I studied the busts of each and every one of the former Chief Justices that were set alternately in niches alongside the main hall. I took a peak at the Court Chamber and even glanced at the building's famous spiral stairs. I left the building leaving a little piece of me inside, a little piece I came back to get later in my life.
Farther down 1st Street was the Library of Congress. Unfortunately I was not allowed into the Library's main reading hall but I was able to look at it from a viewing room. I wished I had had access to this impressive library when I was studying for the Bar exam, but I had to do with the library my Alma Mater offered. Outside this room was the Library's main hall, an impressive space adorned by marvelous examples of arts in the form of portraits and landscapes on the ceiling and walls. I saw an original Gutenberg Bible and figured this would have been something my mother would've loved to see.

I stepped out of the building and came to the realization that almost two hours had gone by since I started my self-guided tour. Time really does fly by when you are having a good time but this presented a huge problem, I was running out of time. I opened my map and studied the various routes I could take. I knew I definitely wanted to see the Declaration of Independence as well as the Lincoln Memorial and the White House. But then, there was the Jefferson Memorial and the Smithsonian museums, and there was also the Washington Monument, the Capitol and the Korean Memorial. So many places, so little time!

'You know, it helps if you put the map on the floor and step on it, at least that's how I do it. But you are going to have to step on it really fast because it's really windy and your map might get carried away.'� The voice of a stranger interrupted my thoughts. I looked to my right and standing just a couple of feet next to me was a handsome young guy with a bad taste in clothes. He wore a pair of shorts with an orange shirt that just seemed to scream for help. I didn't fail to notice that he wore no jacket to protect him against the cold and figured he was a local that was already accustomed to the cold breeze. His sandy blond hair tucked under a baseball hat and a pair of blue eyes staring back at me.
'I beg you pardon?'� I looked straight into his eyes and managed to catch a glimpse of their spark.
'You are lost, aren't you? Well, it helps if you stand on the map.'�
'Yes, well, I rather not. Besides, I am not lost. I am just deciding where to go next.'� I said.
'What have you seen so far?'� He asked. Not one to be at ease with the unknown, the mere idea of an unfamiliar person poking into my quiet existence bothered me a little bit too much, but somehow this stranger instilled a sense of trust in me and I answered his question. 'Well, it's only natural that you need to go and see the Capitol next. It is the closest thing from here and from there you can just go straight to the Washington Monument and so on. Just, don't forget to visit the museums, they are really something.'�
'I am afraid I have no time for museums. I am on a really tight deadline. I have only two more hours to walk around the city.'�
'Two more hours?'� He asked in surprise. 'Well then, my mission in life is clear. I need to guide you through the right path around the city so you can see as much as you can in these last two hours of your visit to my hometown.'�
'Oh, that won't be necessary.'�
'Oh, it's done. My name is Johnny, by the way.'�

Johnny Stevens was his name and lobbying was his game. Born and bred in the heart of Washington, DC, Johnny grew up alongside politics. His father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather had been involved in the hustle and bustle of Washington's politics, and it only came natural for Johnny to join the ranks of those before him.
Johnny turned out to be the perfect guide just as I had suspected it. His years of living in the place gave me major insight about everything around me. We rented a couple of bicycles, because he figured that would be the fastest way of seeing everything there was to see, and it was because of it that we managed to do just that.

I have to say I was surprised at the ease I felt when accompanied by Johnny. Usually, just being near a member of the opposite sex would send me into a social spasm and I would only be able to speak in short sentences. But with Johnny I was able to talk about much more than just the weather, I was able to complete whole sentences and tell him much about my life just as he did about his.
We circled the Washington Monument in our bicycles and I stared up until there was only sky. The White House was nearby and it looked as regal as it looks now. A quiet white ghost hidden among trees, guarded by the Secret Police. I took a look at the Declaration of Independence and secretly imagined myself standing at the same time it was being signed by John Hancock. We made our way to the Lincoln Memorial where I began to realize that Johnny and I were meant to meet.

'This here is my favorite spot. I like to come here and sit at the top of these stairs and watch the view of the city as good Ol' Abe Lincoln watches over me.'� Johnny said as we sat on the steps at the top of the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial capturing a mental picture of the view in our minds.
'It is beautiful.'� I said as I pulled a strand of my hair behind my ear. 'I still can't get over the fact that I am here. I am glad I made this stop.'�
'Yes, I am glad too.'� He smiled. 'I just wished we had more time. There is still so much you have to see.'�
'I'll come back. I will definitely come back.'�
'Will you look me up when you come back?'�

The barking of dogs brings me back to the present, to where I am sitting on a bench in the middle of a cold night, while the city sleeps. The voice of young Johnny still resonates in my mind and as I sit on this bench I look to my left and see at the end of the long reflecting pool the Lincoln Memorial. I can still see us sitting on the steps looking out into the uncertain future.
Johnny actually came to visit me in New York City while I was still a junior associate in my law firm. A year passed by since the last time I saw him but that same ease that I felt in Washington with him was still present. He was still this upbeat kind of guy who saw everything that was going on in the world with a positive light. He was just as handsome as ever. We shared a kiss a top the Empire State building, a kiss that would forever shape my love life, a kiss that I still feel on my lips until this day.
But of all the events that my impromptu visit to Washington, DC caused, the one that led me back to the city is the one that still puzzles me. I never saw this coming and I still couldn't believe it. And as I sit on this bench at 4 am in the morning, looking at the past, I fear I've gotten myself into a situation I don't think I can handle.


'Madam President?'� It takes me a second to react. 'Madam President?'�
'Yes, Joe?'� I answered to the name in which I will be known for during the next four years, and maybe forever.
'It's best that we leave. The early morning joggers are starting to come out and it is safer inside the White House's fences.'�
'Yes, I know, Joe. I know.'� I answered to one of the many Secret Service guards assigned to my care; a tall, tough guy that inspired safety.
'Don't you know, Joe? She likes to live dangerously. That's why she married me.'� I looked to my right and I see my husband walking towards me with his own set of agents behind him. His snowy hair tucked under a baseball cap and his blue eyes shinning under the moon. I call out his name.
'Johnny, did I wake you?'�
'Your absence in our very big, very nice marital bed was noted.'�
'I am sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I just needed to go out for a walk and clear my head.'�
'Nervous?'�
'Very.'�
'Why?'�
'Oh, only because tomorrow I start the most important job of my life.'�
'Nah, it'll be a piece of cake.'�
'I don't think your forever positive view of things is going to help me today.'�
'Sweetheart, look at me.'� I looked into his eyes and recognized the same sweet young man that introduced me to the very same city I was in charge of now. '�Everything will be alright.'�
'What have I gotten myself into, Johnny? All eyes will be on me. I don't think I can handle all that pressure.'�
'I will help you.'�
'It's too much, it's too much pressure. Do you realize the weight I have on my shoulders? Not only am I the first woman president ever, a Latin-America woman nonetheless, but I am also the first candidate from a third party to have ever won a presidential election.'�
'That's exactly why you shouldn't worry. If people took such a huge risk in electing you that means that they have true faith in you. America wants a change and they know you can do it, I know you can do it, all you have to do is believe .'�
'Have you been reading Dr. Phil's books again?'�
'Guilty.'� I smiled and kissed him softly on his cheek. I love him so much. 'Trust me, everything will be alright.'�
'Who would've thought that our lives were going to take such a huge turn. What if I had never answered your call after I gave you my cell phone number. You would've never come to New York and I would have never been introduced to Senator Hodge.'�
'Yes, Senator Hodge was an instrumental person in your political career, but I prefer to think that if you had never answered my call, I wouldn't have been able to marry you. I would've been devastated.'�
'Surely, you would've gotten over me.'�
'Never.'�
'Liar.'�
'I never lie.'� He said.
'Liar, Liar.'�
'Now, that was a good movie.'�
'Madam President?'� The agent called out again.
'Coming, Joe!'�

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