Eager anticipation spread around the nation in anticipation that the remaining states, except for Virginia and West Virginia, would quickly join. But as winter dragged into spring, it became evident that the remaining states were not going to join all that quickly. Wisconsin still had its beef about trial by tribunals. The number of states that had approved the Wisconsin amendment gradually increased to seventeen. But with the new states that had joined, the amendment was still twelve states away from passing.
At least Vermont finally admitted that its struggle to retain the electoral college was futile. It approved the new constitution in late spring, becoming the thirty-ninth state to officially rejoin the union. Now it would take thirty states to approve the Wisconsin Amendment.
Technically, the United States had dominion over all fifty states. The problem was enforcing it. Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Montana had no objections to federal officials entering their states. But there was tension with the lower Rocky Mountain states. On top of that, enforcing national laws in Virginia and West Virginia was impossible, except in the places liberated by the United States.
The anti-gun-control faction did some counting of its own. An amendment loosening the new constitution’s gun restrictions would also need thirty states to pass it. All six New England states, together with Maryland, Delaware, Iowa, and Minnesota, would not favor such an amendment. That would be sufficient to block their desired amendment. They would also face difficulty getting Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan to support their amendment. Even if all fifty states were together in the union, passing an anti-gun-control amendment would be next to impossible.
In college basketball, North Carolina defeated Western Illinois to win the boys’ national title. Cincinnati defeated Tulsa to win the women’s national championship.
While Detroit won the NBA title, the league itself was planning its expansion to the Pacific coast. The eighteen teams it currently had were split into three six-team divisions. The plan was to expand into six Pacific cities, which would form a completely new division. Their decision was to expand into San Diego, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area, Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle. Essentially, one of the prior Los Angeles teams would go to San Diego. Seattle would replace the no-longer-feasible Phoenix team.
College sports also started making changes with the expansion in the west. While Rutgers nosed out Indiana for the national men’s college basketball championship, Maryland stopped Connecticut from getting another national women’s basketball championship. Now new conferences were needed to support the schools in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada.
A peaceful afternoon in New Salem was disrupted by the piercing wail of ambulance sirens. Jeremy and his students rushed over to the windows. The ambulance stopped at the main hall. Medics scrambled into the building, soon emerging carrying a person on a stretcher. Nobody in the classroom could tell who was being carried out.
Jeremy, the students in his classroom, and everybody else at the school did not have to guess long. Word was soon broadcast over the intercom. General Holmes had suffered a heart attack. He was being rushed to Bismarck for intensive treatment.
General Holmes died that night. The announcement was made at the morning formation the next day. Everyone at the school mourned. Flags were flown at half-mast. The mood around campus was even subdued during commencement.
Jeremy felt the sting of loss personally. General Holmes had enabled him to complete his ROTC training at Creighton. The general had much to do with his success. He had even worked under the general.
Shortly after commencement, Jeremy was promoted to major. He knew that this promotion meant increased responsibility. He just did not know what it would be. If General Holmes were still at the school, he figured he probably would have stayed there. But without General Holmes, he could not say for sure.
For summer vacation, Jeremy and Alicia took their family to Des Moines to visit their relatives. Then they went on to Pittsburgh to visit the relatives there. Naturally, Vincent was the star at both locations. Sometimes, they would leave Vincent with the relatives while they took the girls out for sightseeing.
Baseball fans in Illinois cheered when University of Illinois won the College World Series. It was a great accomplishment for their team.
Jeremy remained with the Northern National Military Academy for the next school year. The new school president was a general named Brian Campbell. Brenda started fifth grade that year. Julie started second.
Much talk centered on renaming the school. Many people wanted to change the name to Holmes National Military Academy in honor of its deceased founder. General Campbell also liked the idea. He said he would find out how the name change could be done.
Boston once again won the American League East in Major League Baseball. It faced Minnesota in the league championship series. In the National League, it was Pittsburgh against Chicago. Boston won the American League pennant, Pittsburgh the National League. Pittsburgh and Boston battled to seven games before Boston won its first World Series since the dissolution.
College football provided its usual excitement. Early losses knocked Arkansas and Nebraska out of contention. But heated races seared across the country. Of particular interest were the conferences on the West Coast. Football fans wanted to see which of those teams would compete against the eastern and central teams for the national championship.
In mid-November, federal agents stormed a gun show in Laramie, Wyoming. They seized every high-powered gun that was deemed unlawful by the federal government. That event sparked protest in many parts of the country, both in states that had accepted the new constitution and those that had not. The progun advocates claimed that Wyoming had not approved the constitution, so it should not have to abide by the federal restrictions. Supporters of the tougher gun restrictions argued that once the new constitution had the requisite thirty-eight states, it applied to all fifty states.
President Bryant and Vice President Turner declared that the constitution was legally binding in every state. While the Wyoming gun owners had supporters in Congress, a clear majority agreed that the constitution must be upheld in every state. Finally, in a rare move, the chief justice of the Supreme Court stated that all nine justices agreed that the United States had the right to enforce the constitution in the states that had not approved it.
Wyoming gun supporters still had one shot left. They claimed that if the constitution applied to all fifty states, then Wisconsin could not have their trials by tribunals. A Connecticut congresswoman refuted this by saying that tribunals could not kill dozens of people at once. A high-powered assault rifle could.
At that point, the debate quieted down. Finally, President Bryant stated that anyone who owned illegal firearms could turn them in, and the federal government would compensate them. Reluctantly, such gun owners complied, though it was impossible to say every such weapon was turned in. Even gun collectors had to turn in their illegal guns. President Bryant said the safety of the American public could not be risked.
A new gun lobby based in Austin gained momentum. An anti-gun lobby, originating in Hartford, started gathering major support. Media seemed to favor the anti-gun advocates. Radios, newspapers, magazines, and television networks all reminded the public of the mass shootings that were too prevalent before the dissolution. Jeremy was surprised to learn about a shooting that occurred in Virginia.
While the nation continued its efforts to get full approval of its constitution, football continued to command attention. Pittsburgh won the OFL championship. After the end of the OFL season, business leaders in Texas announced that they had formed another professional football league in their state, appropriately named the TFL. They would start with teams in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, El Paso, Amarillo, and Tyler.
San Jose State and Oregon qualified for the playoffs from the West Coast. Oregon defeated the California team 37–10 in the opening round of the playoffs, convincing skeptics that this team could compete against the more established teams in the central and eastern parts of the country.
Any doubt about Oregon’s competitiveness was swept away when Oregon trounced Minnesota in the second round by a score of 34–14. Once again, four state universities had reached the Final Four. Oregon would take on Kentucky in one semifinal game. Florida would battle Maryland in the other.
Oregon defeated Kentucky 24–15 in its semifinal bout. Maryland stopped Florida 38–20. The following weekend, Maryland dashed Oregon’s hopes of winning the national title in its inaugural post-dissolution season by a score of 27–17.
As the new year started, President Bryant knew he needed something impressive to win reelection. He ordered a naval bombardment against the Virginia naval yards on the Tidewater Peninsula. Virginia’s paltry navy was quickly decimated. But when American troops pushed ashore, they became pinned down not just by heavy fire but also by a heavy web of booby traps. It seemed like every time the nation made a move against Virginia, Virginia was ready for it.
The reason for Virginia’s readiness for US attacks was soon discovered. A Virginia spy surrendered to federal authorities. He reported that Virginia had a new chief of intelligence named Kyle Kirtley. This man was much like General Krakowski himself, very shrewd and manipulative. He could also maneuver situations for his own gain without regard for other people.
The spy went on to say that Kyle Kirtley was particularly adept at finding out what military maneuvers the United States was planning to take against Virginia. That was why Virginia was always well-prepared for any United States attacks.
The spy also revealed that Virginia had always had the ability to create weapons of mass destruction. It just did not have access to the necessary materials. Fortunately, General Krakowski had so far been unable to acquire them from any other countries. Russia and China flatly refused. No other countries wanted to anger Russia, China, or the United States.
Even with this sobering news, life continued. Western Illinois won the national college men’s basketball championship. Tulsa won the women’s championship. Minnesota won the National Basketball Association. Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup in hockey.
In May, the whole Voorhies family all got a shock. Brenda came home from school and announced that her father was mentioned in her social studies book. Her classmates had laughed when she said so in class. Her teacher was doubtful. But Brenda knew that her father had, as the book said, escaped Virginia to flee torment. The book went on to say that he risked his life swimming across the Potomac River to reach safety. The big surprise for Brenda was when she read that he had been put on trial for killing a man in Virginia but was acquitted.
Alicia quickly contacted the teacher and confirmed that the Jeremy Voorhies in the social studies book was indeed Brenda’s father. The teacher accepted it with a touch of surprise. She said she would inform the class the next morning.
Jeremy got a call from the school principal, Mr. Norris, the next night. He asked Jeremy if he would like to speak to students about his experience in Virginia and his escape. Jeremy replied that he would be happy to.
Jeremy enjoyed talking to the students at the local elementary school. He felt especially bubbly seeing Julie grin and giggle a bit, sitting next to Brenda, with a glowing look of admiration on her face. He started by talking about the complete chaos of when the dissolution happened. Things were so violent that his parents would not let him or his brother and sister outside, because it was too dangerous.
He said the chaos ended when a whole bunch of men wearing army uniforms started showing up everywhere. But things were different. Everybody had to do what General Krakowski told them to do. The army men enforced it. Food did not taste as good. Nor was there as much of it. Just one egg was a treat.
School emphasized teaching good things about General Krakowski and Virginia. Everything else was evil. Students had to learn military drills at a young age. Later, they had to take military classes. Every boy and girl was expected to serve in the military.
Nobody could leave Virginia without permission from the state government. Crossing the Potomac River into Washington, DC, was particularly forbidden. One Saturday, he and his best friend swam over to Washington, DC. They were curious about what was over there.
Jeremy went on to say that first they found nothing but ruins. But then they met an old man who told them the truth about Virginia and the RSNA. He told them to go on to Maryland, but before they could go, Virginia army men stormed the building they were in. They killed the old man. They took him and his friend prisoner.
Jeremy then spoke about how he was taken to a hospital in Richmond, where he was locked in an empty room with no windows. He stayed there for hours. It was dark when he finally got out. He saw his friend, who just gave him a blank look. Then the army men took him to the hospital basement.
Next, Jeremy was grilled by an army captain. This officer intensely tried to get Jeremy to confess unfaithfulness to Virginia. He even tried to claim Jeremy did things against Virginia, which Jeremy had to fervently deny. Jeremy said the army officers believed he could be rehabilitated. He was sent to a rehab house.
The rehab house was really a kind of prison. Jeremy had to wear loose-fitting orange clothes there. Several students cringed when he told them about getting whipped for not reading a magazine article that promoted General Krakowski’s thinking. The food was nothing but bread chips. The beverage was only the state’s weak-tasting victory juice. The inmates never spoke to each other. They made the inmates do hard physical labor.
Jeremy related how, in his only day in school in Richmond, the teachers and other pupils shunned him. If he spoke up in class, he was ignored. He had a test in one class. He was not given a copy of the test or even anything to write with. At that point, he knew he had to get out of Virginia. On his way home, his bus crossed over some railroad tracks. That gave him his idea.
After bedtime, he quietly subdued his roommate. Then he grabbed a chair from the kitchen and used it to smash open a side window. Alarms went off immediately. He scrambled through the broken window and sprinted down an alley and through some backyards, all the while trying to avoid being seen by anyone in the vehicles as they sped toward the rehab house.
Then Jeremy talked about making it to the train yard. He hopped a northbound train. When he got to Northern Virginia, he jumped off the train and made his way to the Potomac River. That same kind of fence, with rolled barbed wire along the top, blocked him from the river. Unable to find a limb to climb or a place to crawl under, he decided he had to climb over the fence. Knowing that the rolled barbed wire would snag his loose-fitting clothes, he stripped naked, climbed up, pulled some rolls apart, stood at the top of the fence, and plunged into the river.
Jeremy continued by talking about his epic swim across the Potomac. It was much wider than the point where he and his friend swam across. He waded out as far as he could. Then he started swimming. The long swim proved arduous. When he finally reached the Maryland shore, he collapsed from exhaustion.
Next Jeremy related how he awoke in a doctor’s office. An old doctor, a young nurse, and the man who had found him that morning were in the room. They told him he would be all right. Soon, the doctor’s wife brought him his breakfast. It seemed like the best meal he had ever tasted. Later, a policeman brought him some clothes. Then the policeman drove him to the Baltimore airport. From there he was flown to Des Moines.
Jeremy explained that the reason he was taken to Des Moines was that there were too many spies in Maryland trying to catch escapees and take them back to Virginia. He would be safer in Iowa. A few months later, his grandparents moved out from Pennsylvania. He started living with them in Grinnell, about sixty miles east of Des Moines.
The sad part was when Jeremy related how his family, relatives, friends, and teachers were told that he had drowned trying to swim across the Potomac River. But some Virginia authorities believed he might have survived. If so, they wanted him more than most escapees because his roommate had died in his effort to make him unconscious.
Jeremy spoke of how, determined to help Virginia obtain freedom, he enrolled in college to become an army officer. He performed well. But during his second year, some people working for General Krakowski caught him. They took him to Illinois. When they stopped, they said he would not live through the weekend. Jeremy said he had never felt so nervous. His captors also talked about getting a big reward for catching Jeremy.
Jeremy expressed a palpable sigh of relief when he related how a girl overheard his kidnappers. She told her parents, who in turn called the police. Several neighbors were also phoned about it. When the police arrived, the kidnappers were quickly caught and arrested. He was free from the kidnappers, but his ordeal was not over. He related being promptly arrested for murder upon arriving back in Iowa. That was because murder was a crime in both the United States and Virginia.
Jeremy explained that because accused criminals in the RSNA are presumed innocent until proven guilty, he was allowed to go back to college to complete his school year. Meanwhile, the RSNA and Virginia debated over where his trial would be held. The RSNA did not want the trial to be held in Virginia, because it feared he would not get a fair trial. Virginia countered that its interests would not be fairly considered if the trial were held in the RSNA. After much talk, they decided to have New Jersey host the trial.
Next Jeremy told the students how after the school year ended, he was transported to New Jersey. Instead of being put in a prison, he was put in a hotel suite under heavy protection. A lawyer from Cleveland took his case. This lawyer found a good New Jersey judge to take his case. He also found a good New Jersey attorney to help him with New Jersey law.
Jeremy praised his defense attorney for saying how he had acted out of fear for his own safety. Meanwhile, the prosecution team consistently lied, saying that he was always in trouble in school and in the rehab home. The head of the rehab center said he was a dangerous prisoner who threatened to kill him.
The prosecution’s ultimate blunder, Jeremy said, was when they called the wife of the head of the rehab house to testify. The woman who took the witness stand was not even the woman who had been at the rehab house. Jeremy told his attorney about this fact. His attorney assured Jeremy that he would investigate it.
Sure enough, Jeremy continued, his attorney verified that the woman who had testified was an imposter. That was a big blow to the prosecutors. Another deciding factor was when medical experts testified that the dead man could have survived if he had received proper medical attention.
Jeremy related how his attorney had made a persuasive speech in the final arguments, stating that if he were convicted, it would be a tragic injustice. The prosecution claimed that he was a bad man, that if he had not acted against the dead person, that person would still be alive.
Jeremy exhaled a sigh of relief when he told them of the jury’s not-guilty verdict. His defense of acting for his own safety was accepted. He was freed, going back to stay with his grandparents until the near the end of that school year. Then he got married.
Jeremy told them how, with help from then-Secretary of Defense Holmes, he was able to complete his college army training. First, he was assigned to Arkansas, where he helped liberate Texas. Then he was assigned to Nevada, where he helped secure the Southwest. Finally, he was assigned to New Salem. Secretary Holmes had by then become president of the local military school, which he founded. Secretary Holmes wanted Jeremy to come to work for him.
Jeremy then explained that as much as he wanted to help free Virginia, the army did not want to station him near it. The army was too concerned that if he was captured by the Virginians, they would probably kill him.
At his conclusion, Jeremy told the students that they must be thankful they did not live in Virginia. In North Dakota, they had good food, good beverages, good roads, and leaders who really wanted the best for their people. They did not have walls to keep them from leaving the state. They would never get whipped for not doing their reading. Life in any state was far better than it was in either Virginia or West Virginia. Otherwise, the United States was an exceptionally great place to live.
After they got home from school, both Brenda and Julie expressed concern that some people wanted to kill their father. Jeremy assured them that people from Virginia were not going to take him again. He and they were safe this far from Virginia.
The school year ended soon after. At the Northern National Military Academy commencement, General Campbell announced that the school had received approval to change its name to Holmes National Military Academy. The attending crowd cheered the decision.
Jeremy and his family enjoyed a relaxing summer. Their highlight was a visit to Alicia’s folks in Des Moines. Mr. Shelby told how a new University of Southern Iowa was being built in Leon, close to Lamoni. Mr. Shelby also drove Jeremy, Alicia, and the three girls to Drake.
A memorial to President Adair had been erected across University Avenue from the campus. Unlike the gothic-style buildings in Lamoni, which were made to look like their corresponding buildings in Washington, this memorial featured modern architecture. The building was about twenty feet high, covered with dark glass panes, buttressed by slanting beams. About half the beams were gold; the others were black. The courtyard consisted of tastefully arranged flower gardens interspersed with curving walkways.
The inside seemed tranquil, the lights slightly dimmer than normal. Brighter lights from the ceiling illuminated several tablets around the room. The brightest lights shone on a life-size statue of President Adair on a pedestal about thirty inches high. The great man was depicted standing, right foot forward, with his right hand extended outward like he was trying to shake hands or, perhaps, to help someone. The words “The Second Father of Our Country” were inscribed beneath his name on the pedestal.
The writing on the tablets was about President Adair’s life and achievements. Jeremy noted that he was born and raised in Charles City, Iowa, and attended Drake University to study journalism. He was always a top-notch student who was well-liked by his peers. A woman working at the memorial explained how more young people, including athletes, became interested in attending Drake because it was President Adair’s school. Drake was also building a huge athletic complex south of Des Moines. The football stadium would have eighty thousand seats. Drake was getting ready for the big time. The whole complex would be named in honor of President Adair.
Finally, the woman spoke of a new presidential library in honor of the great president that was being built in Adair, Iowa. Even though the president had no connection to the small town, it was decided that Charles City was too far off the major transportation routes and that land in Des Moines was at too high of a premium. Adair, Iowa, was chosen because it had the same name, and it was on a major highway and a major railroad route.
One day, Jeremy took Brenda to Lamoni to see the government buildings and monuments. They visited the capitol and the White House. Jeremy told Brenda how he helped build the White House.
Jeremy’s big moment was at the Lincoln Memorial. He read the Gettysburg Address. It strengthened his understanding of what the United States stood for. He needed to do his part to help achieve these ideals. This especially applied to his home state of Virginia.
Politics heated up during the summer. Vice President Turner submitted a health care bill to Congress. But politicians who supported President Bryant endeavored to stop the bill. Knowing that the opponents of her bill were Bryant supporters, Vice President Turner announced that she would run against the president in the upcoming election.
Texas-El Paso won the College World Series that summer. Many people theorized that Southern schools were retaking the upper hand in college baseball. They could use the warmer weather earlier in the year to do more practice and play more games.
Later in the summer, Wyoming announced that it had approved the new constitution. That brought the total number of approving states up to forty. After announcing the approval, Wyoming’s governor visited Denver, Salt Lake City, and Helena to encourage their state leaders. Wyoming’s approval also meant that a person could travel all the way from coast to coast in approving states.
In the Major League Baseball division races, Charlotte and Pittsburgh were in a close race in the National League East, while Cincinnati erected a large lead in the West. In the American League, the East featured a three-way battle between Boston, Toronto, and Cleveland. Meanwhile, Detroit established a comfortable lead in the West.
But the upcoming election commanded the most attention. The key issues were gun regulations, the Wisconsin Amendment, a national health care plan, and how to deal with General Krakowski. Peter Bryant and Lorena Turner opposed each other on each issue. Clearly, they were not a compatible team. Peter Bryant announced he wanted Stanley Updike of Alabama for his vice president. Lorena Turner selected Michael Calloway from Missouri.
That fall, Brenda started attending sixth grade, and Julie advanced to third grade, while Wendy started kindergarten. Alicia stayed home alone with two-year-old Vincent, who had become a bouncing bundle of energy. He kept his mother on her toes.
While football season started up, the baseball races concluded. Charlotte defeated Cincinnati in the National League. Meanwhile, Detroit swept Toronto in the American. While most people believed Detroit had the better team, Charlotte won the World Series in five games.
The presidential race kept getting more intense. Many pundits believed that while none of the minor candidates had much support, they might siphon off enough votes to prevent either candidate from getting a majority. Bryant seemed strong in New York, New Jersey, Texas, and the more rural parts of the South and West. Turner seemed to have the edge in New England, the middle part of the country, and the states bordering on Virginia. Some speculated that the votes in Alaska and Hawaii could well determine the winner.
One week before the election, Mississippi became the forty-first state to approve the constitution. Nobody could say how Mississippi’s votes might affect the election. Rumor had it that Mississippi’s leaders decided to join so its people could vote in the election.
The election turned out to be what everyone expected. First, Bryant would have more votes, then Turner. Sometimes, neither candidate had a majority. The pattern continued through the central part of the country and on into the West. As the Pacific coast states were being counted, there was still no clear winner. When the Voorhies family went to bed, the election was still not decided.
When Jeremy awoke the next morning, the first thing he did was check on the election. Lorena Turner had barely squeaked by with 50.03 percent of the vote. Peter Bryant got 49.7 percent. Had Turner received just slightly fewer votes, there would have been a runoff election. Michael Calloway likewise just squeaked by, with 50.06 percent of the vice-presidential votes. At least Lorena Turner got the vice president she wanted.
The Holmes football players might have been inspired by their school’s new name. They won all ten of their regular season contests, earning a playoff berth. A loss to Nebraska in the opening round did not diminish the team’s glow of success. Purdue won the national championship.
When Lorena Turner became president, she immediately set about pursuing her agenda. She was determined to keep her campaign promises. She favored the Wisconsin Amendment, which at that point had been approved by twenty states. With Mississippi joining the other states, the amendment now needed thirty-one states for approval. She also wanted to maintain stricter gun control but firmly believed that enough states would side with her that it would not be an issue.
President Turner would also follow Omar Fields’s advice by appointing Clara Metcalf as treasury secretary. Soon, the Turner administration realized that Metcalf had a better grasp of the job than Bryant’s choice.
Turner’s first objective was the health plan. She quickly resubmitted her health care plan to Congress. The Bryant cronies may have blocked her efforts the first time. Now that Peter Bryant was out of office, the health plan might have a better chance.
Drake won the national college men’s basketball championship. Memphis won the college women’s tournament. Oklahoma City won the NBA title. Chicago won the National Hockey League.
In late spring, Colorado approved the new constitution, bringing the total to forty-two. Colorado also quickly approved the Wisconsin amendment. With twenty-two approvals, the amendment still needed ten more states to become law.
The first major crisis in the Turner presidency was a natural disaster. A hurricane blasted the Gulf Coast. Louisiana got hit particularly hard. Heavy flooding was reported in many parts of the state. Much of New Orleans was flooded. The hurricane also left a multitude of destroyed and damaged buildings in its wake.
President Turner quickly ordered relief to the affected area. Billions of dollars of aid flowed into the Bayou State. Volunteers from each of the forty-two full-fledged states plus five of the states that had not approved the new constitution converged on Louisiana, helping to fix the damages and aid victims.
The Louisianans were so grateful for the outpouring of support that when their legislature reconvened, it quickly approved the new constitution. Now there were forty-three full-fledged states in the reunion. The Louisiana legislature also approved the Wisconsin Amendment. Optimism soared that every state would soon be reunited.
During the summer, Cal State-Fullerton won the College World Series. That fall, Chicago’s National League team won the World Series, defeating New York in six games.
The reunification process did not move forward as quickly as hoped. With help from President Turner’s gentle persuasion, more states approved the Wisconsin Amendment, bringing the total to twenty-six. Seven more states were needed. At least if another state came on board at that point, it would not add another state to the number needed to pass the amendment.
Attempts to court the other states to join remained sluggish. While it seemed like Montana and Utah had every reason to join, the backers of the constitution in both states were meeting unexplainable resistance. Wisconsin still determinedly held out, awaiting approval of the Wisconsin Amendment.
Arizona and New Mexico faced a different issue. Few states had been hit harder by the dissolution than they. Both states had lost considerable population. They both struggled with weak economies. While many of their citizens agreed that full statehood sounded nice, they did not want to pay the higher taxes that came with it. A status like that of territories had its appeals. Support from the national government helped, but both states continued wallowing in semi-poverty.
Naturally, the Virginia situation loomed large. President Turner took a less hawkish stance toward Virginia than President Bryant had but firmly believed something needed to be done. She just seemed to not know what to do. The one thing she did was to establish defensive missile bases in strategic points near the Virginias. One such location, Danville, was inside Virginia. Installations near Havre de Grace and Denton, both in Maryland, and in Milford, Delaware, provided extra protection for Baltimore, the most obvious target.
Brenda started attending junior high that fall. Julie advanced to fourth grade, while Wendy started first grade. Meanwhile, Vincent started bonding with Julie more than his other two sisters. Julie liked the attention, enjoying Vincent’s companionship.
The additions of Wyoming, Mississippi, Colorado, and Louisiana caused major realignments in the college sports conferences. Minnesota and Iowa moved into a conference with four Illinois schools, plus Indiana and Purdue. Drake, with its new football stadium, took Iowa’s old place in its former conference. Arkansas and Arkansas State got into a new conference with three Louisiana schools and three Mississippi schools. In the west, Wyoming, four Colorado schools, and three Idaho schools joined to form a new conference.
Professional football underwent even more changes. The OFL changed its name to Midwest Football League when the Dayton team moved to Indianapolis, while the Youngstown team relocated to Chicago. In addition, the MWFL expanded to Minnesota and St. Louis. The TFL did some relocating of its own. Fort Worth relocated to Oklahoma City, while Amarillo moved to Kansas City.
Meanwhile, three new professional football leagues started. The Northeast Football League (NEFL) established teams in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester. The Southern Football League started up with teams in Miami, Orlando, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, and Birmingham. Finally, the Pacific Football League (PFL) opened with teams in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, and Spokane. This would be an interesting year for football.
While sports fanatics all over the nation were eagerly watching football, everyone was closely watching President Turner. They wanted to see how she would deal with the nation’s issues. Her biggest successes were in foreign policy. Russia and China both complimented her diplomacy. Relations with nations in Europe and Asia improved. She advocated helping upgrade the infrastructure in Mexico.
The Mexicans greatly appreciated their help from the United States. Their roads, schools, electricity, and plumbing had improved greatly, though there was much more work to do. Many parts of Mexico had not been upgraded. Furthermore, both countries joined in an effort to eradicate plants that were used in making illicit drugs. The Mexican drug cartels were decimated by the dissolution. Now that the American dollar had become viable again, cartel activity was starting up again. Both countries agreed that it was the best time to try to stop them, before they became too powerful.
President Turner continued the process of getting the remaining states to approve the new constitution. She often visited Montana, Utah, and Wisconsin. Wisconsin seemed like it was ready to join as soon as the amendment it wanted passed. President Turner continued her efforts to get the amendment approved. Before long, two more states approved it, bringing the total to twenty-eight.
Back home, Brenda enjoyed playing organized basketball in junior high. A teacher named Carol Huff held practices, teaching the girls about how to play the game. She also held scrimmages, giving the girls experience in playing the game. Mrs. Huff told Jeremy and Alicia that Brenda was playing well, that she would probably make the varsity team in high school.
In football, Michigan State posted its first collegiate championship since the dissolution. The professional football leagues generated considerable excitement. Pittsburgh won the MWFL, while Houston won the TFL. Among the new leagues, Buffalo prevailed in the Northeast, Birmingham won the South, and Portland won the Pacific. After the end of the season, the TFL announced expansion to New Orleans and Denver.
The next pro football announcement came from both the TFL and MWFL. The two leagues would pit their champions against each other in a postseason game. The winner would be considered the champion of both leagues. The game would be played in Nashville. The old National Football League was gradually congealing.
During the winter, Vermont won the college men’s basketball tournament, while Memphis won the women’s. Atlanta won the NBA. After the season, the NBA announced a major expansion into New Orleans, Denver, New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland.
Winter gave way to spring. Major League Baseball expanded to Seattle, Denver, Anaheim, and San Diego. In the American League, Chicago would move to the Eastern Division. In the National, it would be Cincinnati.
Jeremy enjoyed teaching Julie how to play basketball. While Julie liked basketball at first, she soon took a bigger interest in softball. Jeremy gladly taught her that sport. Vincent liked to tag along with Julie. Jeremy and Julie let him participate to the extent feasible.
During the summer, Montana approved the new constitution. Now forty-four states were on board. Montana also quickly approved the Wisconsin amendment, bringing that total to twenty-nine. Only four more states were needed.
As the summer progressed, Oregon State won the College World Series. That fall, the World Series featured the classic showdown between Detroit and Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh won this bout. Afterward, a sports reporter noted that of the nineteen World Series since the dissolution, eight of them had been won by either Detroit or Pittsburgh.
Brenda started eighth grade that fall, Julie fifth, and Wendy second. Jeremy and Alicia could not believe how quickly their children were growing up. Brenda increasingly looked more like a young woman.
Football season provided more excitement. Cincinnati battled its way to the national college championship. Canton won the MWFL, while Houston repeated as TFL champion. The playoff game capped off the excitement. Houston opened with a seven-point lead that held through the end of the first quarter. At halftime, Houston still led, by a score of 10–6. At the end of the third quarter, the score was knotted up at thirteen.
While both teams had scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter, neither team scored. Tensions mounted as two behemoths battled it out in overtime. After ten more minutes of play, Canton secured the win with a field goal. With the excitement the game generated across the nation, it was assured that more playoff games would be arranged.
The highlight of the Voorhies’s winter, particularly Brenda’s, was when her basketball team travelled to Glen Ullin to play against the eighth-grade girls there. Her entire family attended. Because New Salem was larger and had more practice, Brenda’s team won easily. She contributed six points to her team’s effort.
In college basketball, Arkansas won the championship. Cleveland won the NBA. The following summer, Auburn won the College World Series.
In the fall, Vincent started school. Julie enjoyed showing him around and helping him get acclimated. He liked his teacher and made friends quickly. Meanwhile, Brenda got her first boyfriend, a sophomore named Allen Moore.
Neither Pittsburgh nor Detroit made the playoffs in Major League Baseball. Instead, Minnesota and Toronto battled for the American League pennant. Charlotte took on Houston in the National. Minnesota and Charlotte squared off in the World Series, with Minnesota winning for the first time since the dissolution.
Brenda’s basketball team started playing more teams that year. Their opponents included Glen Ullin, Center, Hebron, and Washburn. The Voorhies family attended every game and were pleased with Brenda’s performance. They also met Allen Moore, who also attended every game. Jeremy and Alicia both liked him. Brenda’s team lost only one game.
In politics, President Turner resubmitted her health care plan. She felt more confident that it would be approved this time. Meanwhile, two more states approved the Wisconsin Amendment, bringing the total to thirty-one. Only two more states were needed.
Kansas won the men’s national college basketball championship. Indiana won the women’s. New York won the NBA title.
The new year brought increased interest in politics, with another presidential election looming ahead. President Turner’s reelection chances looked good when the health care plan became law. Many experts agreed this new plan would be more efficient and equitable than the system before the dissolution had been. It also meant that health insurance companies would never recover from the dissolution, but they could provide supplemental coverage for those who wanted it.
During the spring, another state approved the Wisconsin amendment. Only one more was needed. Anticipation ran high in the Badger State. In June, the required number was attained. The Wisconsin legislature approved the new constitution the next day. President Turner looked like she was headed toward a second term as president.
Things turned against the incumbent president in the summer. Virginia forces successfully invaded Smith Island. While part of this island, located in the Chesapeake Bay, was in Virginia, most of it was in Maryland. The residents of Smith Island all lived in Maryland. The United States had been in control of the entire island from the outset.
President Turner immediately ordered US forces to liberate the island. The Virginians put up a stiff defense. It took two weeks for US forces to drive the Virginians out. Even then, extra US forces had to be called in when the first group could not do the job. It was an unneeded stain on what had been a good presidency.
President Turner suffered heavy backlash for the Smith Island incident. Soon afterward, President Turner announced she would not seek reelection. This caused many politicians to try for the office.
As the summer wore on, political maneuvering occupied much of the country’s time. Utah’s decision to approve the new constitution helped. Now forty-six states had approved the new constitution. Only Arizona, New Mexico, Virginia, and West Virginia remained.
Middle Tennessee State won the College World Series. In Major League Baseball, Detroit established a safe lead in the American League West. The other divisions were tightly contested.
Former President Bryant took an early lead in the presidential election. But when Manuel Mesta, who had been governor of Texas but had since become a senator from Texas, announced that he would seek the presidency, the race heated up. The more conservative Union Party supported Peter Bryant. The more liberal Constitution Party liked Manuel Mesta. Peter Bryant endorsed Gerald Anderson, the governor of Florida, for vice president. Manuel Mesta announced that he wanted Charles Cassidy, a congressman from Washington, to be his vice president. The stage was set.
The Major League Baseball races provided an exciting diversion from the election. While Detroit won the American League West easily, Toronto got hot late in the season to win the East. In the National League, Charlotte claimed another division title in the East, while Houston won the West. Toronto pulled off a surprising upset in the American League playoffs, earning a showdown with Houston in the World Series.
While each game in the World Series was close, it did not last very long. Toronto won it in five games. The public was glad to see a new team win, liking the parity that existed between so many teams. There was also speculation about how soon Milwaukee would get a team and where the team that would replace Phoenix would be.
At home, Brenda got her driver’s license. Because there was little to do in New Salem, she liked to go over to Bismarck with some friends. She and her friends would take turns driving.
Brenda also talked with her mother about something she had suspected for a long time. Aware that she had been born less than nine months after their marriage, Brenda confirmed with Alicia that she had been pregnant with her when she and her father got married. Alicia affirmed that she was.
Alicia continued to explain that when Jeremy was arrested for murder, many people, herself included, were concerned he might have to be sent back to Virginia, where he would be killed. Alicia told Brenda how she got clearance to be with Jeremy while he awaited trial. While with Jeremy, she wanted to get pregnant. That way, if Jeremy was convicted and executed, he could still live on through the two of them.
Then Alicia told Brenda one more thing about their family. She told him that the name of the friend who swam across the Potomac River with her father was named Vincent Blake. Now Brenda knew where her younger brother got his name.
The presidential election took center stage that fall. Peter Bryant’s early start made him the front-runner at first, but as Manuel Mesta’s campaign gained momentum, it became clear that Peter Bryant was not headed toward an easy win. Lorena Turner’s endorsement of Mesta helped him gain support.
Manuel Mesta visited Arizona and New Mexico, assessing their situation and promising more help. Mesta’s fluent Spanish won over many Hispanic voters.
On election day, Bryant did well in New York City, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. But Mesta made up for it in New England and upstate New York. In the South, Bryant did well in North Carolina, but Mesta gained the lead when the votes from other Southeastern states were reported.
Mesta maintained his lead, albeit not an insurmountable one, as voting reports came from the middle of the country. When the Texas votes went heavily for Mesta, it made him the clear front-runner. His lead held up through the Rocky Mountain states. Finally, the votes from California sealed the win for Mesta. He would become the next president.
Football season also provided plenty of excitement. Many teams battled for the sixteen playoff spots. Nearly half of them were decided during the last week of the regular season. The playoff games themselves provided great entertainment, with many games not being decided until the closing minutes.
The championship game was no less thrilling. Penn State and Southern California battled to a 17–17 tie at the end of the third quarter. A field goal early in the fourth quarter enabled Southern California to pull ahead. But Penn State took the lead with a touchdown in the final minute of the game. The Penn State defense then held to preserve the 24–20 win.
Professional football provided a different kind of interest. The five professional leagues discussed merging together, creating a new version of the NFL. There were several issues. The new NFL might establish two nationwide conferences, like the old NFL and like Major League Baseball. Another option would be to group teams regionally. Another issue was which teams would be retained in the new league and which ones would be cut. Similarly, which cities would obtain the franchises that Phoenix, Washington, and Las Vegas had, as they could no longer accommodate teams? Meanwhile, Dallas won against Chicago in the MWFL/TFL championship game.
Manuel Mesta began his presidency with visits to Arizona and New Mexico, then continued to Mexico. In all three places, he achieved great popularity not just with fluency in Spanish but also with his great charm and benevolence. He vowed to work toward building a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Mexico, emphasizing how much a strong Mexico would benefit the United States. He would also work with Arizona and New Mexico to help restore their prosperity.
While leaders all around the world commended President Mesta for his tact and benevolence, he had his critics. Much centered on his increased aid to Mexico, claiming it was because of his Mexican roots. Mesta replied that he was keenly aware of the issues between the United States and Mexico before the dissolution. He firmly believed that helping Mexico become a sound, prosperous country would benefit the United States so much that it would more than justify the cost.
Back home, Brenda was a starter for her girls’ basketball team. The team won twelve games and lost six. Jeremy, Alicia, and Wendy attended every game. Julie and Vincent often attended, but they sometimes stayed home. Julie enjoyed babysitting her younger brother.
Nationwide, basketball fans in Iowa cheered when Drake won the national championship in men’s basketball, while Iowa won the women’s. New York won the NBA title, while Detroit won the NHL.
Winter gave way to spring. Julie got involved in her sport, softball. Most of the games were scrimmages, though they played against some other schools. Julie played several positions, often catcher or first baseman. Sometimes she pitched or played center field. Her coach liked to get her players familiar with several positions. The whole family loved to watch the games.
The five professional football leagues made a major announcement in late spring. They had decided to band together to form a new National Football League. They would use the prior format of two nationwide conferences with four divisions. Each division would have four teams. The alignments looked like the pre-dissolution alignments.
But there were some changes. The American Conference would again have Buffalo, New England, Miami, and New York in the East, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Cleveland in the North, and Tennessee, Indianapolis, Houston, and Jacksonville in the South. The only change in the AFC was in the West, where Kansas City, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Diego would compete. San Diego would replace the old Las Vegas team.
The National Conference had more changes. The East would consist of New York, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Carolina. The North would be intact, with Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, and Minnesota. The South would have teams in Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Atlanta, and St. Louis. The West would have teams in Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.
During commencement at Holmes, Jeremy got a pleasant surprise. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Jeremy was not sure what extra responsibilities this promotion would entail. But he would embrace those responsibilities with his typical zeal.
For summer vacation, Jeremy took his family on a longer-than usual, three-part trip. The first part was to Iowa, where they made their usual visit to Alicia’s relatives. While in Iowa, they made another visit to Lamoni. The whole family enjoyed seeing the monuments and visiting the capitol, the White House, and some other government buildings.
The second leg of their trip was to Pittsburgh, where they enjoyed quality time with Jeremy’s relatives. Among the adults, there was still the speculation about how the relatives on Jeremy’s mother’s side of the family were doing in Virginia. Nobody had heard anything about them.
The final leg of their trip was up to Maine. They all enjoyed the rocky shores, the lighthouses, and the splendor of Acadia National Park. Wendy particularly enjoyed her first lobster dinner. Brenda liked the quaint New England towns. Jeremy and Alicia were both glad their whole family enjoyed the trip. On the railroad rides back to New Salem, they had plenty to talk about.
Jeremy took his usual interest in baseball. He seemed OK with it when Kentucky won the College World Series. But his real interest was in the Major Leagues. Baltimore was in a tight race with New York and Boston in the American League East. Kansas City had a lock on the West. In the National League, Pittsburgh opened up a wide lead in the East. The West had a close battle between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Brenda started her senior year in high school that fall. Julie advanced to ninth grade. Soon, she had a boyfriend named Ed Holbrook. Vincent became jealous of Ed because he was stealing some of Julie’s attention. Alicia assured Vincent that Julie still loved him, but she still needed her time alone with Ed.
Early in the school year, Jeremy got a letter that would change the entire course of his life, and his family’s. It was sent by Frank Fletcher, the same man who had become governor of Illinois after his rescue. He was now a senator representing his home state in Congress.
In his letter, Senator Fletcher asked Jeremy if he would be interested in politics. The congresswoman who represented the Iowa side of Lamoni had decided to not seek another term. He asked if Jeremy would like to relocate to Lamoni and run for that congressional seat. With his popularity, he would have a good chance of winning.
Jeremy talked about the letter with Alicia. They had been living in New Salem for many years. Both had become comfortable with the small town. They and their children had many friends. It would not be easy, breaking away from these ties to move to a city where they hardly knew anybody. Jeremy pointed out that if elected, he could better support his family with the higher income. But there was no guarantee that he would win. What would he do if he lost?
Another concern Jeremy had was how well the Iowa voters would receive an outsider moving to the state to try to win one of their congressional seats. That could work against him.
He mentioned his concerns in his reply to Senator Fletcher. The senator replied that there were no clear favorites to win that congressional seat. He went on to explain that while Jeremy had not lived in Iowa for many years, he could still claim an Iowa connection because he had lived there after escaping Virginia. Another point was that Jeremy was a respected hero who could easily gain support. Several leading politicians would be willing to endorse him. He would likely become the front-runner quickly.
While Jeremy pondered his situation with Alicia, he watched the baseball races closely. Baltimore squeezed out the American League East, going up against Kansas City for the league championship. In the National League, Los Angeles staved off a late surge by San Francisco to win the West, facing Pittsburgh in the National League playoffs.
Pittsburgh and Baltimore faced each other again in the World Series. This time, Baltimore won it in seven games. After the World Series ended, Major League Baseball announced that it would expand to its full number of teams before the start of next season.
Baseball season gave way to football season. The nation watched the NFL closely to see how the new alignment would work out. Dallas drew particular interest. They had always played in the NFC East. Now they were in the NFC West. It turned out to work well. The dissolution had broken many traditional rivalries. Dallas fans supported their team just as fervently against their new West Coast rivals.
In late November, President Mesta made a happy announcement to the nation. Arizona had approved the new constitution. That increased the total to forty-seven. Now everyone eagerly anticipated the return to full reunion.
With the nation’s economy now steaming toward full strength, most of the other nations were also experiencing greater prosperity. Grateful allies praised the United States for its good job. Russia and China both were pleased with the United States. Hope grew that there would be better cooperation between the nations of the world once the reunion process was completed.
Rising prosperity also meant that more money could be spent on sports and leisure. Large colleges and universities could use their rising incomes to build better teams. As it had been before the dissolution, larger schools became more dominant in college sports. The large stadium at Drake enabled it to keep up. They achieved another playoff berth at the end of the regular season.
Drake defeated Colorado in the opening round of the playoffs. They then triumphed over Oregon in the second round. Drake then nipped Texas to move on to the championship.
The national championship game between Drake and Rutgers provided much entertainment. Rutgers drove down to within the Drake five-yard line three times in the first quarter, but the Drake defense stiffened. Rutgers scored only two field goals in the first quarter.
Drake took the lead with a touchdown late in the second quarter, ending the first half ahead 7–6. Drake increased its lead with a touchdown in the third quarter and another early in the fourth. But Rutgers refused to give in. A Rutgers touchdown cut the margin to 21–13. Rutgers scored another touchdown with eight seconds left in the game but missed a two-point conversion. The game proved that Drake was in major college sports to stay.
The first Super Bowl since the dissolution provided more excitement. Cleveland held off Atlanta for a 24–20 victory.
Brenda’s basketball team went 16–2 her senior year. After the season, her coach praised her for the many contributions she had made to the team.
In early March, Jeremy and Alicia decided to move to Lamoni so Jeremy could enter politics. Alicia had contacted some of her former coworkers. She could work for the city-planning committee again. Senator Fletcher offered Jeremy a job working for his office.
Brenda faced the most difficult decision regarding the move. She was about to graduate from high school. She wanted to go to college. But she did not want to attend Holmes Military Academy. Knowing that her family was moving to Iowa, she decided to look for a college in Iowa. When University of Southern Iowa accepted her application, she decided to go there.
While the Voorhies family prepared for the move, Indiana won another national college basketball championship. Soon, Jeremy attended his last commencement as a Holmes Military Academy faculty officer. Next, the family was off to Lamoni.