Get Karlee’s Backing

After lunch you have quarter of an hour before the final lesson of the week, just enough time for another attempt to fill Anissa’s petition. The final person on your list is Karlee. She is, as she normally is, in her clinic.

The entrance is, as usual, empty but filled with pop music blasting from a radio in the backroom. As soon as you shout your welcome Karlee’s heart-shaped face pops out.

“Things are looking up,” she exclaims on seeing you. “Hello Mr Smith and what brings you to my surgery?”

“I’m looking for help, with a petition. I wonder whether you’d help me.”

She raises an eyebrow.

“What kind of petition.”

Rather than tell her, you get the petition up on your phone and pass it to her. Karlee spends a moment reading it before looking back at you.

“I didn’t know you were a Catholic.”

“I’m not. It’s just been pointed out to me that other religious leaders have given assemblies. You know, the Anglican priest, a representative of the Quakers, I’ve been told we’ve even had a rabbi and imam from the city come and speak, but not the local Catholic Priest. Some of the girls are Catholic, you’d have thought he’d be invited.”

“Some of the girls come from Catholic families. I wouldn’t say they’re Catholic.”

“Still, it seems a strange oversight.”

“And this has nothing to do with our young and very attractive French teacher Miss De Gaulle?”

There’s a twinkle in Karlee’s hazel eyes as she says these words. Why do all these women assume you’re doing this for nefarious reasons? Probably because you are.

“It’s not like that,” you try to counter. “She’s running it. I’m helping her.”

“Just helping her? If you’re just helping her, then I want help as well. You help me. I help you. So, how are you going to help me?”