Once upon a time, in a bustling city full of politicians and their cronies, there lived a young man named Ali. He was a talented writer, particularly when it came to crafting speeches for politicians. Ali was a master at making the most boring and mundane topics seem interesting and captivating.
One day, while Ali was writing a speech for a particularly difficult client, he found himself craving a hotdog. But not just any hotdog – he wanted a gourmet hotdog with all the fixings. Unfortunately, the only hotdogs he could find were the ones from the street vendors, which left much to be desired.
Ali knew he could do better, and so he decided to start making his own gourmet hotdogs. He began experimenting with different combinations of toppings and sauces until he finally hit upon the perfect recipe. It wasn’t long before politicians from all over the city were lining up to buy his hotdogs.
Ali’s hotdogs were a hit, and he soon found himself making a nice side income. He even started taking orders from experienced politicians who had been in the game for years. Ali was happy with his success, but he knew he couldn’t rely on hotdogs alone to make a living.
Enter Nick, Ali’s best friend since childhood. Nick was a dreamer, always coming up with new ideas and schemes to make money. One day, Nick convinced Ali to start selling ice cream as well. Ali was hesitant at first – after all, what did he know about making ice cream? But Nick was persistent, and eventually Ali gave in.
They started small, with just a few basic flavors, but before long they had a whole menu of delicious and unique ice cream flavors. It wasn’t long before their ice cream was just as popular as their hotdogs, and the two friends were making more money than they ever thought possible.
But Nick wasn’t content with just selling hotdogs and ice cream. He had bigger dreams, and he wanted to get into politics. Ali was skeptical – after all, they were just two guys selling food on the street. What did they know about politics?
But Nick was persuasive, and he managed to convince Ali to run for a local office. It was a long shot, but the two friends threw themselves into the campaign with everything they had. Ali wrote the speeches, while Nick handled the logistics and the marketing.
To their surprise, they actually started gaining some traction. People loved their hotdogs and ice cream, and they liked the idea of having a politician who was just like them. Ali was personable and relatable, and he had a knack for making even the most complicated political issues seem simple and straightforward.
Before they knew it, election day had arrived. The two friends nervously awaited the results, but when the votes were tallied, they were stunned to discover that Ali had won by a landslide. The city had fallen in love with the hotdog and ice cream guy turned politician.
It wasn’t long before Ali and Nick were opening their own pizzeria. It was a hit from day one, with lines out the door and rave reviews from critics. Their hotdogs and ice cream were still on the menu, but they had added a whole array of delicious pizzas as well.
Ali had never imagined that he would be running a successful business and holding public office, but he was loving every minute of it. He was finally living the American dream – a political speech writer turned street vendor turned politician turned pizzeria owner.
George, a frazzled White House aide, rushes into the bustling pizzeria, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He looks around frantically before spotting Ali and Nick behind the counter.
“Quick, I need two pizzas for the president!” George says, his voice trembling with urgency.
Ali and Nick exchange a confused look. They had heard rumors that the White House had been ordering pizzas from their pizzeria, but they had never actually seen anyone come in to pick them up.
“Uh, sure thing,” Nick says, trying to hide his surprise. “What kind of pizzas does the president like?”
George shakes his head, looking even more stressed. “I don’t know! Just make two large ones with everything on them!”
Ali and Nick get to work, frantically tossing dough and piling on toppings. They’re used to making pizzas quickly, but they’ve never had the pressure of the president’s hunger hanging over their heads before.
As they slide the pizzas into the oven, George paces back and forth nervously. “Hurry, hurry!” he mutters under his breath.
Finally, the pizzas are done. Ali and Nick box them up and hand them over to George, who takes off running out the door. The two friends watch him go, still trying to wrap their heads around the fact that they just made pizzas for the president of the United States.
As they’re wiping down the counter, there’s a loud crash from the back of the kitchen. Ali and Nick rush to investigate, and find that the delivery guy had taken a spill and knocked over a rack of dishes.
“Hey, are you okay?” Nick asks, helping the delivery guy to his feet.
The delivery guy nods, but he looks a little dazed. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just… not used to delivering pizzas to the White House, you know?”
Ali and Nick exchange another shocked look. “Wait, you’re delivering these pizzas to the White House?” Ali asks.
The delivery guy nods again, looking even more frazzled than George had been. “Yeah, I’ve got to get these to the president’s office ASAP. I don’t know what they’re for, but they’re definitely a rush order.”
Ali and Nick look at each other, their eyes wide with disbelief. They had never imagined that their little pizzeria would end up serving the most powerful man in the world.
TimOzman.com 