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JFK Airport, New York, USA. January 18, 2010


"Thank you sir, you're right down the aisle to the left."

Representative Ed McCarthy (D-NY-06) nodded politely and followed the flight attendant's directions, not that they were particularly necessary, as the plane could only hold forty people at maximum capacity and also because there was only one other passenger. As he made his way towards his seat, he noticed the back of a shiny bald head peeking above one of the chairs, a very familiar head, it was. Ed cracked a smile and sat down next to Kenny FitzDuncan, who was too busy yelling into his cellphone to notice.

"Claire, go home! No, I'm not going to help him get reelected, I'm on vacation and so are you! Don't you answer that phone! I'm serious, if you get me a job for sometime in the next month, you're fired. Go home, please."

Kenny sighed and hung up, then closed his eyes and sighed again. Ed had seen him do this before, usually when he was exasperated with either his latest secretary or his latest girlfriend. Kenny opened his eyes, noticed Ed and started chuckling.

"How long you been sittin' there, Eddy?"

"If I say long enough, would that be too much of a cliché"

"Definitely."

"Long enough."

Kenny grinned and said: "I thought this gig I got you would make you less of a smart-ass, but I see that hasn't happened."

"Oh Ken, I'm so grateful you managed to somehow help me win in the safest blue district in the country."

"There you go again, with that tone. Honestly I don't know how Kate puts up with you," and then seriously "How is she? And the kids?"

"Kate's as happy as can be as long as I never step foot in the kitchen, you know how she gets. Rebecca's in high school now, and Ian is trying to decide between Yale and Northwestern."

"I can imagine which way you're pushing him."

"Not really. I don't want him to think he got into Yale just because of the legacy treatment. Between us, he'll probably do better at Northwestern."

"Or he could follow my footsteps and just skip that whole college mess."

"Kate would have a stroke if he did that."

They both chuckled at that and then settled down in their seats as the plane began to taxi. It was January, and so the specific route they were on did not see much traffic; they were the only two passengers on the entire plane.

After takeoff, Ed spoke first: "So how's Janice doing? Or was it Jeanie?"

"You mean Jenni. She's fine, I'm assuming, probably better since we broke up eleven months ago."

"Ken, you can't seriously expect me to keep up with that parade you've got going on."

"Not at all, though I'm surprised you mentioned her, have we really not seen each other in that long?"

"Not since the funeral, I think."

"Oh."

They both became silent at that. Ed stared at the floor and bit his bottom lip, while Ken stroked his forehead. This kind of thing went on for a while, before Ed finally spoke:

"I still haven't processed it."

"Me neither."

"I mean, she'd been sick for so long but I just- I-"

Softly, "I know."

"Have you seen John since she died?"

"Yes. I flew out in August. He spoke maybe ten words the whole time I was there."

Ed nodded solemnly, "I think Raul tried to hook him up with a job at Oracle, but that was a no go."

"It's not like he needs the money, anyway."

"True. It's not money John needs, it's a hobby."

"You know what I always say: A man must have a hobby."

Ed laughed, "I may have whipped that line out at a fundraiser a couple of weeks ago, I'm sure you don't mind me stealing that one from you."

"You've got to be kidding? A politician stole something?! Call the frickin' cops!"

"Touche."

"That was nice of Raul though, I didn't know he did that."

"He tried to keep it secret. So typical of him, he's the best guy I know."

"No argument there, though I wish he'd stop trying to get me to move to California."

"He's the only one of us on the West Coast… It gets lonely all the way over there."

"He'll get no sympathy from me on that, no-one pulling in a seven figure salary is allowed to bitch and moan as much as he does."

"Jeez, that much?"

"You bet. He makes almost as much money per year as Matt's wife does per movie."

That sent them both into an extended fit of laughter until, wiping tears from his eyes, Ken said:

"Not that he's done too badly himself. He could divorce her and still be in the millionaire's club."

"I've never heard of a studio head who couldn't."

"Good point."

And that was it, the ritual was over. The two had mentioned every member of their former crew, as was expected of them. Their timing was impeccable, as no sooner had they namedropped the last friend in their group than the plane began descending. Landing in Martha's Vineyard Airport was never a pleasant process, and both men began mentally preparing themselves for serious bumpiness that would soon take place, as well as the always unsettling diplomatic procedure involved in arriving at an organized incorporated territory of the United States.



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Excerpt of interview with Anna Thompson, a local news anchor and native of Martha's Vineyard, from "The Boys from Nantucket"(2003) documentary series:

"Back in 1979, when they were seniors, I was a sophomore, and those kids were my heroes. It sounds a bit silly all these years later, but I think everyone who knew them idolized them to a certain degree. They were just the perfect kids. It was almost like they didn't belong here to a certain extent; they were just too cool, if you know what I mean? There are just these certain people where you can look at them and say 'these guys will be running the country thirty years from now' and anyone within earshot will agree. These kids had big futures, big things ahead of them. And remember, this is all before the movement, before the publicity and the brilliance, that all happened the next year, in 1980. Even before that, you could practically smell the potential overflowing out of them."

[Anna is shown old photo of the gang, dated as 1978]

"Yep, that's them all right. Let me see that for a second… That's Ed McCarthy up there in the top left corner. His father, Terrence, was the island's representative to the Massachusetts legislature. The dark fellow, with his arm around Ed, is Raul Cordoza and sitting below him, right there, that's Matt Neal, who, of course, married that actress from the movie with the horses… What's her name again? I can't remember, doesn't matter, you know who I'm talking about… Over there, holding the basketball is John Alley and the girl hugging him is Marina Jadden. They had just started dating back then, I think, and they eventually got married. The grinning lad is Kenny FitzDuncan, who was always smiling and making jokes……"




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Summary of the "Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket & The Elizabeth Islands Organic Act of 1983"

The Organic Act provided for and guaranteed:
  1. An executive branch headed by a governor appointed by the President of the United States; and
  2. A unicameral (single-body) legislature of up to 12 members, elected by the residents of the islands; and
  3. A non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives, elected by the voters; and
  4. A court system with judges appointed by the Governor and re-elected by the voters; and
  5. United States citizenship for the residents of the islands.
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