When the hate you have
For one another's past
You can try
You can try
You can try
To tell the world the reason why
Belfast
Belfast
Belfast
---
As the cameras clicked for the last few times, Number 10's doors were closed and the two exasperated men sat down. The BBC was blaring in the background.
"So John", David began, leaning forward as he did so. "I certainly hope that this isn't the end of the road for you. You'd be a great contribution to the cabinet."
John put his hand to his chin just before he responded. "I'm dreadfully sorry David, but I don't think I can continue any longer. You've seen the way the squad have been acting, and if they couldn't accept me as Prime Minister, they can't accept me as Chancellor or anything else. And I'd rather be with my family at the moment."
"I understand what you're saying John, I really do, but it would be such a shame to lose someone of your talents because of a few snarlers", David said in a sympathetic tone. "I stayed on after the merger, even with the Smyth headache."
"David, you have to realize that this is overdue. '92 would've been the best time to go." John became more solemn as his sentence neared its end, a look he kept as David started speaking again.
In an effort to spark a more upbeat tone, David rose his voice. "Ah John, if you did that, I don't think I'd be sitting here, now would I?." They both had a good chuckle at that before David continued. "I don't think that Portillo bloke would've worked with us over in Belfast in the way you did, John." Major was showing a smile at this point. "To be honest, you carried the whole thing. I don't think anyone apart from Hume liked working with Neil, and even with him it was a sense of loyalty."
Now that John was in a more relaxed mood, he took off his glasses and began polishing them as he spoke. "Well, it was always a tough process, wasn't it? I was very surprised when Neil broke through. Some people wanted to scupper them to happen, as you very well know. I remember one aide who came up to me and seriously suggested that we pull out of the talks because Neil scoring a victory would hurt us in the polls!"
As both men were chuckling, a young aide to the now former prime minister called George (or was it Gideon?) appeared from the hallway with his hand over a flip phone. "Oh, Mister Major, Norma's waiting for you in the car."
"Alright George, I'll be out in a second or two." John and David made their way to the door, and as John left, they had a firm but relaxed handshake. "Well David, that'll be me then", said John before he turned around and started waving to the still lingering crowd outside. The Number 10 doors shut as John made his way to the car.
Still standing, David turned the volume back up. They were having that Portillo bloke on, and he was condemning David as 'too connected with Northern Ireland to lead the United Kingdom into the new millenium'. David had one last chuckle at that before turning the Telly off and heading into the hallway.
