“It’s all yours,” Kimani said. “I’ll help you with the research, but I don’t need to be in the byline.”
Robin and Ron looked at her in disbelief.
“But you’re the one who set up the interview with Gordon,” Robin said.
“He would’ve said yes if you had asked. It’s better if I...” She decided not to finish her thought, in case it raised questions with Robin and Ron. “You’re the more experienced writer, anyway.”
“Yeah, but you’re new. Don’t you want to get every byline you can?”
Kimani looked at the tables where precinct maps, voter lists, and door hangers had been organized by neighborhoods. The neighborhood with the largest stacks of folders and literature was East Oakland.
“I shouldn’t have the byline because I’m biased,” Kimani explained. “This way, I can volunteer for Gordon’s campaign.”
“I have to admit, he doesn’t come across as much of a dynamic leader,” Ron, who lived in Oakland, said, “but I’d definitely consider voting for him now. He’s seems to know his stuff.”
“I’ll see you back at the office,” Kimani said, “I’m going to take my lunch break here in Oakland.”
She grabbed a folder and some door hangers from the East Oakland pile.
“I’ll take this precinct,” she told the coordinator in charge of precinct walking.
The young woman took a look at the precinct map. “That’s East Oakland. I have a few neighborhoods left in the Rockridge area if you want one of those.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t look like you have a lot of folks walking East Oakland.”
“Well, they’re not the safest neighborhoods, especially for women. You’re not planning to walk the precinct alone?”
“I grew up in Oakland. I know my way around.”
“Still, I don’t think Gordon would be okay with that. If anyone on the campaign were to get hurt—”
“I just came back from walking an East Oakland precinct with Gordon.”
“Still, I’d feel better if you took one of the other neighborhoods. Even this one off International Boulevard is better.”
“Okay,” Kim relented. She accepted the new packet from the coordinator.
But on her way out, when no one was looking, she grabbed an East Oakland packet.
SHE TOOK AN HOUR LUNCH break to drop door hangers in East Oakland before taking the BART, Bay Area Rapid Transit, train back into the city. When she arrived at the Tribune offices, she sensed something wrong the instant she walked into the newsroom.
Robin rushed up to her. “You missed the big announcement,” she said.
At first, Kim thought it was the good news that Sam had hinted at the other day, but the air of despair didn’t match her expectation.
“What was the big announcement?” Kim asked.
“We’ve all been given two weeks’ notice.”
After a moment of stunned silence, Kim asked, “They’re shutting down the paper?”
“I guess we all saw it coming, but I thought we’d hear about it with more notice than two weeks.”
Kim went to find Sam, who was sitting in his office looking out the window.
“I missed the announcement. We’ve all been given two weeks’ notice?”
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