MA&E–Best Wishes From Upstairs
Mark was sat right in front of his laptop on the desk in the living room when he heard the door of the entry slamming and someone’s footsteps in the flat. He did not even turn around to know that Edwin was heading towards him with some kind of trouble bugging him. When he felt his lover’s hands on his shoulders, he looked up and met his gaze, full of certain bitterness.
Edwin leaned forward and kissed him on the lips as softly as he apparently could.
‘Ok’, Mark murmured. ‘What’s with you this time? Jellal again?’
‘You guessed right’, his lover said while letting himself fall on the sofa. ‘He just gave me another of his endless moralizing speeches. Pretty depressing if you want my opinion about it.’
‘Still trying to sabotage your crew, is him?’
‘It actually looks like it. I’ll never understand what’s his problem. He seems to be willing to improve the association’s popularity, but in the meantime, he’s trying to divide the current crew. As if it could help anyway.’
Edwin bent down and began to take off his shoes.
‘I think he’s got a serious problem with Judith’, he pursued in a sight. ‘He doesn’t like her, and as she doesn’t fit his vision of a crew leader, he wants her to quit. You know I had to restrain myself very hard not to tell him having crew leaders a bit different from him and his mates would probably be the best thing that could ever have happened to Final Flow.’
Mark got up and came sitting next to Edwin.
‘OK… Then why is Judith so different from the previous crew leaders?’ he asked, a bit confused.
‘I’m not quite sure. She’s more… She is someone you can trust. Someone deeply honest and always fully connected to reality. Maybe she’s a little less experienced at leading people, but she’s always adding a different point of view to ours. I think she’s necessary to keep the association coherent.’
‘You’re confident about her. So it’s OK’ Mark said before kissing him on the chick. ‘Why is Jellal’s point of view so important anyway?’
Edwin sighted and looked away.
‘He’s influential to the rest of the crew leaders, and especially Paul. Actually, when he talked, he always said Paul was the one he would rely on. Not once he talked about me. I’m the main leader for god sakes. And I think that since the beginning of the year, I’m kindda the one they could rely on.’
‘It pisses you off’, Mark noticed calmly.
‘It sounded like he though Paul was a better match to be main leader’ Edwin complained. ‘How do you want me to have some authority if the former crew leaders spread that kind of an image of me?’
‘Be ware’ Mark warned. ‘I think that’s exactly what he wants to do to sabotage your crew: he’s dividing you guys. Do you have any problem with Paul?’
‘No, no, we’re perfectly fine. And good friends.’
‘So why do I sense this bitterness in your voice? It’s not like Paul had told you he thought himself a better match for the job… This guy is trying to divide you, and this way, he’s destroying the crew, although I seriously doubt he’s even conscious of that. He’s just mad at you because you remind him you’re doing a better job he’s done so far, with better choices and a better crew. You’ll have plenty of time to show it. Just don’t let him rule Final Flow. You are the leader now, not him. He can keep his advices for himself: what him and his team have made for the association is not what I think we should call a good example, even if he denies his part of responsibility in the association’s failure. His experience does not give him any more credit than you, cause it did not work out properly. Do it your way, and let him swallow back his frustration and his remorse. The best thing you could do is avoiding to let him corrupt Paul’s vision of your team. You must stick together.’
Edwin put his head on Mark’s chest, seeming a little revealed.
‘What could I possibly do without you?’
‘You could quit and take back a stupid job just because a frustrated guy succeeded in getting you down.’
‘True enough’ Edwin answered, faking a smile.
‘Do me a favor and please stop talking to that guy, would you? I don’t know him but he’s seriously getting on my nerves. I can see you coming home every night, and I can tell you the only thing that’s bothering you about Final Flow is always his point of view. So just have fun leading that crew, do it the way you like, do it the way you think will be helpful, but don’t – please don’t – listen to his crap. I’m tired and sick of it. I know he denies any responsibility in this crap, he’s the good guy in the story, just like all the others. But if you give up because of him, for sure he’ll be the one that will have ruined it all.’
