“Go where?”
“The Returning Officer wants to see us.”
Jasmine is on her feet in an instant but her automatic assumption they have won is dashed when she sees Rosalyn Carter, the Conservative candidate and her agent, standing next to the Returning Officer, the other candidates also arriving. The official leads her and Ben across to join them.
The Returning Officer clears her throat. Her voice is low and Jasmine has to lean in to hear.
“All the ballot boxes are in and all the votes have been tallied including the postal votes. As we stand, Ben Khan has the lead by four hundred and eighty-three votes.”
Jasmine sucks in her breath. They have done it!
“I want a recount,” Rosalyn’s sharp tones intervene.
If Ben had lost by fewer than five hundred votes, Jasmine would be asking for a recount too. She is not surprised but she doesn’t think the occasional error is likely to overturn the margin of votes.
The Returning Officer sighs. She is tired – they are all tired – but it is important they get this right. “Perhaps we can do a bundle flick first?” she asks.
Rosalyn looks uncertain but nods her head. Personally, Jasmine doesn’t believe it will make much difference. If it had been her, she would still insist on a full recount.
The first bundles are brought. She holds her breath as an official starts to flick through them. All the voting slips are the same size and the voting options in the same order. Flicking through the bundles gives a quick visual check everything in the bundle is consistent.
The first bundle passes. But not the second. Nor the third. Jasmine sucks in another breath. Two out of three bundles incorrect could unseat Ben.
“That’s enough. Let’s not waste any more time. You need to recount,” the Conservative agent tells the Returning Officer. She nods.
Jasmine and Ben return to their seats. Lou and Dave wait with questions in their eyes. Jasmine answers, “It’s a recount.”
She and Ben sit but neither reclines in their seat nor chats. Both of them are bolt upright watching the Returning Officer cross the hall. In one corner, a group of white boards is emblazoned with the Hayburn Council logo. In front of it is a clear plastic podium and a couple of microphones. The television cameras and press are set up here. The Returning Office steps up to the podium and the journalists pocket their phones and pay attention. She gives a short announcement of the recount and steps away again.
Jasmine turns her attention back to the count tables. Each bundle of a hundred will be separated into its constituent bundles of twenty-five votes. Those will be checked for correctness and consistency before being reassembled. The count assistants appear alert, as if energised by the pressure as all eyes in the room are on them.
The recount is faster than the count. Jasmine watches as most of the bundles appear to be reassembled without changes and she hopes this is a good sign. The minutes tick into hours and still she and Ben sit with eyes fixed on the count tables. One by one, the count assistants clear their desks and sit back. This time, when an official comes to fetch them, Ben and Jasmine intercept him halfway.
The Returning Officer is looking grim. She waits until they are joined by Rosalyn Carter and her agent and then gives them the new result. Ben Khan leads by four hundred and ninety votes.
Jasmine rejoices. The recount increased his vote. She misses the Returning Officer’s next words but everyone else is looking at Rosalyn, who is looking at her agent. The agent gives a defeated shrug.
“I’ll accept the result of the recount,” Rosalyn says.
Hidden from view, Ben grabs Jasmine’s hand and squeezes hard before he releases it. She doesn’t have time to wonder further as the Returning Officer is striding towards the podium to call for all the candidates.
Ben and Rosalyn follow, their agents joining the stream of people moving to the front of the podium area. Jasmine finds herself joined by Lou and Dave. She has no time to respond to their queries before the Returning Officer clears her throat.
“Good morning, all,” she begins briskly, “as returning officer I hereby give notice the number of votes recorded in the election for Member of Parliament for the Hayburn constituency is as follows.”
She reads out each candidate’s name and their vote tally in alphabetical order. Rosalyn comes first and there is a cheer in the crowd as her vote tally is announced. But everyone is waiting as the Returning Officer reads through a slew of joke candidates and minor parties. Until Ben Khan’s name is announced. As his vote count is announced, Jasmine is deafened by Dave’s euphoric bellow beside her. Lou throws herself into his arms, wraps her long legs around his waist, and kisses him hard upon the lips. Jasmine’s jaw drops. She stares in shocked disbelief as Dave responds most enthusiastically. Her eyes flick to Ben and she sees him watching, but he is grinning, clearly delighted. Has the stress of the night overset his mind? His gIrlfriend is kissing another man in front of him! His eyes lock with hers and for a second, she could swear they smoulder.
Then the Returning Officer steps away from the podium, and Ben steps up, the new Member of Parliament for Hayburn.
All’s Well that Ends Well
Jasmine’s phone vibrates with a tsunami of texts.
Flora:Go Jas! Yay! You did it?
Daddy:That’s my girl!
Mother: I told you so.
