When Florentyna went back to Girls Latin the next day, her homeroom teacher called for her and made it quite clear that the election was now over and that the time had come to settle down and do some serious studying. Miss Tredgold agreed, and Florentyna worked with the same enthusiasm for her school exams as she had for President Truman.
During the year, she made the junior varsity hockey team, on which she played right wing without distinction, and even managed to squeeze onto the third-string tennis team on one occasion. When the summer term was drawing to a close, all the pupils received a note reminding them that if they wished to run for the Student Council their names must be sent to the headmaster of Boys Latin by the first Monday of the new school year. There were six representatives on the Council elected from both schools, and no one could remember a year when they had not all come from the twelfth grade. Nevertheless, many of Florentyna’s classmates suggested that she allow her name to be put forward. Edward Winchester, who had years before given up trying to beat Florentyna at anything except arm wrestling, volunteered to help her.
‘But anyone who helps me would have to be talented, good-looking, popular and charismatic,’ she teased.
‘For once, I agree with you,’ said Edward. ‘Any fool taking up such a cause will need every advantage possible to overcome the problems that come with a candidate who is stupid, ugly, unapproachable and dull.’
‘In which case it might be wise for me to wait another year.’
‘Never,’ said Edward. ‘I can see no hope of improvement in such a short time. In any case, I want you on the Council this year.’
‘Why?’
‘Because if you’re the only eleventh-grade student elected, you’ll be a near certain for president next year.’
‘Really thought the whole thing through, haven’t you, Edward?’
‘And I would be willing to bet everything in my piggy bank that you have, too.’
‘Perhaps,’ said Florentyna.
‘Perhaps?’
‘Perhaps I’ll consider running for Student Council a year early.’
During the summer vacation, which Florentyna spent with her father at the New York Baron, she noticed that many of the big department stores now had millinery departments and wondered why there were not more shops specializing only in clothes. She spent hours at Best’s, Saks and Bonwit Teller — at the last of which she bought herself a strapless evening dress — observing the different customers and comparing their individual preferences with those of shoppers who frequented Bloomingdale’s, Altman’s and Macy’s. In the evening over dinner she would regale her father with the knowledge she had acquired that day. Abel was so impressed by the speed with which Florentyna assimilated new facts that he began to explain to her in some detail how the Baron Group worked. By the end of her vacation, he was delighted with how much she had picked up about stock control, cash flow, advance reservations, the Employment Act of 1940, and even the cost of eight thousand fresh rolls. He warned George that his job as managing director of the Group might be in jeopardy in the not-too-distant future.
‘I don’t think it’s my job she’s after, Abel.’
‘No?’ said Abel.
‘No,’ said George. ‘It’s yours.’
Abel took Florentyna to the airport on the final day of her vacation and presented her with a black-and-white Polaroid camera.
‘Papa, what a fantastic present. Won’t I be the neatest thing at school?’
‘It’s a bribe,’ said Abel.
‘A bribe?’
‘Yes. George tells me you want to be Chairman of the Baron Group.’
‘I think I’ll start with president of the Student Council,’ said Florentyna.
Abel laughed. ‘Make sure you win a place on the Council first,’ he said, then kissed his daughter on the cheek and waved goodbye as she disappeared up the steps to the waiting plane. As Abel traveled back in the car, he thought of his own ambitions for Warsaw and then recalled the understanding he had had with his daughter.
‘I’ve decided to run.’
‘Good,’ said Edward. ‘I’ve already compiled a list of every student in both schools. You must put a check mark by all those who you feel are certain to support you and a cross by those who won’t, so that I can work on the don’t-knows and reinforce the backing of your supporters.’
‘Very professional. How many people are running?’
‘So far fifteen candidates for six places. There are four candidates you can’t hope to beat, but it will be a close contest after that. I thought you’d be interested to know that Pete Welling is running.’
‘That creep,’ said Florentyna.
‘Oh, I was led to believe that you were hopelessly in love with him.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous, Edward, he’s a sap. Let’s go through the school lists.’
The election was due to take place at the end of the second week of the new school year, so the candidates had only ten days to gather votes. Many of Florentyna’s friends dropped in at Rigg Street to assure her of their support. Florentyna was surprised to find some support where she least expected it, while other classmates who she had imagined were friends told Edward they would never back her. Florentyna discussed this problem with Miss Tredgold, who warned her that if you ever run for any office that might bring you privilege or profit, it will always be your contemporaries who do not want to see you succeed in your ambitions. You need have no fear of those who are older or younger than yourself; they know you will never be their rival.
All the candidates had to write a mini-election address setting out the reasons they wanted to be on the Student Council. Florentyna’s was checked over by Abel, who refused to add or subtract anything, and by Miss Tredgold, who only commented on the grammar.
Voting was all day Friday at the end of the second week and the result was always announced by the headmaster after assembly the following Monday morning. It was a terrible weekend for Florentyna, and Miss Tredgold spent the entire time saying, ‘Settle down, child.’ Even Edward, who played tennis with her on Sunday afternoon, hardly raised a sweat, winning 6–0, 6–0.
‘It wouldn’t take Jack Kramer to tell you that you’re not concentrating — “child.” ’
‘Oh, do be quiet, Edward. I don’t care whether I’m elected to the Student Council or not.’
Florentyna woke up at five o’clock on Monday morning and was dressed and ready for breakfast by six. She read the paper through three times and Miss Tredgold did not utter a word to her until it was time to leave for school.
‘Remember, my dear, that Lincoln lost more elections than he won but still became President.’
‘Yes, but I’d like to start out with a win,’ said Florentyna.
The assembly hall was packed by nine o’clock. Morning prayers and the headmaster’s announcements seemed to take forever; Florentyna’s eyes stared down at the floor.
‘And now I shall read the results of the Student Council election,’ said the headmaster. ‘There were fifteen candidates and six have been elected to the Council.