Chapter Ten

Her Ultimate Zone

Hester Wright was no longer the oldest living social worker in the world. That's because she retired. After 25 years of employment at the substance abuse treatment center, River's Bend, yesterday was her last day. Hester was 110 years old. She had witnessed vast political and geographical transformations during her lifetime, the most drastic having occurred in America. There had been the Great Earthquake which gouged California in half and separated the two chunks from the mainland. The lower half was named Los Angeles Island, and the government built a huge prison there. The upper half was named San Francisco Island until Russia invaded it. The Russians then built a military training base on it: Station 1257.

Many of the survivors of the Great Earthquake moved into the remains of Arizona and Nevada. A large number, however, emigrated to Mexico. This relocation became known as Conquista Nueva, or the new conquering of Mexico by refugee Americans. The refugees, in combination with numerous senior citizens who had bought inexpensive homes in Mexico, were now the dominant population in the northern half of Mexico--as well as in Costa Rica and Belize. English became the official language in northern Mexico. The border between northern Mexico and America was almost non-existent and unguarded. However, the Mexican government established strong border security across middle Mexico in order to prevent the Americans from settling farther south.

The staff at River's Bend had given Hester a going-away party. The food was delicious and plentiful, and Hester tasted everything. This morning, however, her stomach was churning and she felt exhausted--perhaps from too much food as well as all the excitement. She made a cup of tea, turned on the radio, and sat in her favorite chair with her dog, Waggy, beside her. Then, Hester yawned and dozed off...and entered Her Ultimate Zone.

The living room was dark when Hester woke up. It was 1:22 a.m., the same hour in which she had been born. She saw a silvery bubble softly bouncing on the couch across from her chair. "Hi, kid," said the bubble, "feeling better?" Hester rubbed her eyes. The bubble was an old woman, exceedingly wrinkled and yet ethereal. "I know you're just a youngster," continued the wrinkled bubble-woman," but you're old enough to know better than to indulge in banana-crème pie. That's why your stomach hurts."

Hester was both anxious and curious--yes, that pie was irresistible, but how did the wrinkled bubble-woman know about it? She also wondered why Waggy did not growl at this strange figure. Waggy acted like he did not even see the bubble woman. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" demanded Hester. The bubble woman stood up and came closer. "I'm your senior citizen fairy godmother. You can call me G.M. for short. My mission is to guide you on a life review, because you just quit a very important job. After 110 years, why give up now? Just because things seem impossible, that's no reason to lose hope."

"Well, that's exactly it: I just felt too old to keep fighting all the negative changes in our society," said Hester. "Old?" scowled G.M. "You don't know what old is! Wait until you reach my age. I'm a 350-year-old fairy godmother, and I still help people. I have a heavy caseload of senior citizens who are kids compared to me. Besides, you have done everything you could to stay healthy and alive. Now you're complaining because staying alive means fulfilling responsibilities."

Hester shared her memories, especially of the past 25 years, with G.M. She told how she felt things got really stressful after the American government had developed the Department of Medmar (medical marijuana). The government legalized and nationalized all addictive substances. The government also became the sole provider of medical care, through the Department of Health Services Distribution. Eligibility for any health service was prioritized according to age--from the youngest to the oldest. That meant senior citizens had to go to the back of the line. Since there was a shortage of doctors willing to work in government clinics and hospitals, some senior citizens died before getting to the front of the line.

That was also why so many seniors had moved to Mexico. The Mexican doctors were well-trained and they specialized in tissue and bone injections to restore bones and joints. The American government would not allow these injections but continued to rely on old-fashioned surgery for hip and knee replacements. Surgery and the recuperation process was painful, and patients had to buy Medmar from the government to reduce pain. All other pain-reliever medications had been banned and were no longer manufactured or sold.

G.M. was right--Hester, a dedicated social worker who also enjoyed her private life--had done all she could to stay healthy and alive. She had gone to Mexico for tissue and bone injections, and now she had the bones and joints of a 21-year-old. She could run, jump, bend, and stretch. She could play tennis and run marathons.

But there was also another stressful situation related to healthcare. The Department of Medmar had become increasingly hostile toward substance abuse treatment centers. Treatment for marijuana abuse or addiction was illegal. Although marijuana diagnoses had been removed from the psychiatric manual many years ago, a few treatment centers continued to offer help--a crime under the Department of Medmar's laws.

After America had undergone financial ruin, the government was able to balance its budget by selling Medmar at inflated prices and high taxation. The market for Medmar was enormous. America had become an exporter of marijuana products: marijuana extract for mixing with alcohol and for baking cookies, marijuana incense, marijuana inhalers and nasal sprays, and marijuana lip balm. The American government had also developed ways to cross marijuana plants with strawberries.

Some social workers had been arrested for providing treatment for marijuana abuse, for helping people to find non-addictive ways to cope with pain, and for referring their patients to Mexican doctors for tissue and bone injections. Some of these social workers were sent to the prison on Los Angeles Island. There was a rumor that some of the prison guards were hired from Station 1257, because few people were willing to live on Los Angeles Island. It was also rumored that the American government feared these guards would eventually take over the prison, claim Los Angeles Island for Russia, use the prisoners as slave labor and kill the ones who could not work, and build another military training base.

If Russia conquered Los Angeles Island, it was certain that more Americans would emigrate to northern Mexico. That would open all of the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest to Russian invasion. Many Americans would prefer to express their patriotism through Conquista Nueva than to live under Russian control. With the exodus of so many Americans to Mexico, the American government probably would not defend its western states, but would establish strong border security just west of the Mississippi River, similar to what the Mexicans did in middle Mexico. The country of America would then become smaller, and more manageable and more prosperous with fewer people depending on the Department of Health Services Distribution.

It was a grim picture compared to the difficult but hopeful time when the River's Bend treatment center was opened. No matter what Hester chose to do now, there seemed to be only painful solutions. That brought her back to the pain in her stomach. Having indulged in banana-crème pie was the least of her problems. Government had already altered her career and now three governments--Russia, America, Mexico--presented her with more harsh realities. There was no way out. Moving to Mexico was the easiest route. But, what could she do there? Except, retire? And play tennis everyday?

Hester was too involved in and too curious about life to retire in the conventional manner. Some American senior citizens died before they reached retirement age, which had been raised to 80 in order to cut back on pension benefits. Many of those who reached age 80 fled to Mexico. Some people were saying that there are three Americas: the Mainland, Los Angeles Island, and Northern Mexico. Young people--those under 80--populated the Mainland. Refugees and senior citizens populated Northern Mexico. At age 110, Hester was an unusual sight on the Mainland. And, as an aged social worker, she had gotten her education and training during an era when marijuana was illegal and was considered an addictive substance.

However, after a long, long, long lifetime of helping people, she thought she might be happy to sit at home with Waggy all day. But, within less than 24 hours of retirement, she had already been confronted by the strange apparition of G.M. Her curiosity about life compelled her to welcome this experience. Hester loved talking with people and, at this point, G.M. and Waggy were her only companions. She no longer had colleagues or patients, all her neighbors abused Medmar, and it seemed like everyone close to her age was either dead or had gone to Mexico.

"Here's your problem, kid," G.M. interjected, "you're thinking like a therapist and not like a government official or political activist. You need to study the New American Constitution. Remember, the N.A.C. recognizes only minority groups and special interest groups. There is no longer any concept of a majority or We the People. America now consists of a myriad of competing groups. But, in order for a group to be recognized under the N.A.C., it must have a spokesperson. You need to update your mode of problem-solving. How can you continue to provide treatment for marijuana abuse and addiction under the N.A.C?"

That was it! Hester had to proclaim recovering marijuana abusers as a minority group. As a minority, under the New American Constitution, recovering marijuana abusers and addicts would be entitled to equality and protection according to the Right to Cultural Separatism and the Right to Abnormal Lifestyles. That would mean the Department of Medmar had engaged in discrimination and hate crimes against social workers who still offered treatment for marijuana abuse and addiction. Moreover, that would mean that the social workers imprisoned on Los Angeles Island had been wrongfully arrested and prosecuted and should be released.

"Oh, you are so right, G.M.," exclaimed Hester. There was no response. "Where are you?" pleaded Hester. But, the only sound was that of Waggy's bark. The sun had risen, and rays of light filtered into the living room. Hester looked around--she wanted to thank G.M.--but the fairy godmother had gone. G.M. had completed her mission, and there were other senior citizens on her caseload who needed assistance. Hester knew what she had to do. She got out her laptop computer and returned to her favorite chair, with Waggy beside her. She turned on the computer, and there was a message on the screen from G.M. Good Luck, Hester. And stay away from banana-crème pies! Hester smiled and began typing.

Hester would take the Recovering People's Bill of Rights to Washington, D.C. She had to hurry. Not only were there marijuana abusers who needed help, but there were also social workers in the Los Angeles Island prison who needed to be freed before the Russians invaded. This was Hester Wright's ultimate task. (Written 11/29/10)