Melt by Heidi Wicks

Author:Heidi Wicks [Wicks, Heidi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781550818246
Publisher: Breakwater Books Ltd
Published: 2020-06-02T00:00:00+00:00

On interview morning, in the parking lot outside the studio, protesters swarm the minister’s shiny black Lincoln. The signs are smeared in red spray paint.

A man wearing a trucker’s cap shoves his face as close to Minister Baker’s as he can. “How’s the levy fair if me, a poor person, is paying 1.2 percent, and you, a very rich person, are paying 0.2 percent? How’s that fair?”

Baker weaves his way through the crowd, not responding, working his way to the door. From behind the glass in the studio, Cait hears it all. Voices, so loud, so distressed, so angry. The building seems to heave. Throb. Her organs tremble and her blood bubbles and pops. She walks through the studio towards the porch. Extends her arm to greet the minister. He grips her hand too tightly and glares into her eyes. Politician’s handshake. Must. Assert. Power.

“Good morning, Minister, thanks for coming in.”

He nods towards the empty receptionist desk. “Certainly a colder feeling in here without Beverly.”

“Yes, well, that’s what budget cuts do, don’t they!” The joke does not fly. “Can I get you a glass of water?”

“Don’t have a coffee, do you?”

“Afraid not. Sorry.” The CBC can’t even afford a drop of coffee or tea to offer guests anymore. The café closed two years ago and it’s been a slippery slope since. Cuts, layoffs, contracts not being renewed. Cait has been fearing her appointment with the chopping block, but positive listener feedback has kept her around so far.

“Well, maybe a drop of vodka in the water?” Ha ha. Real funny, asshole, Cait thinks, a little too loudly.

She coughs out a fake chuckle and motions towards the hallway that leads into the studio. Walking behind him, his cologne causes bumps to form on her tongue, assaulting her senses. Enter studio. Glug-glug-glug from the water dispenser. Plunk glass on table. Take a seat. Headphones over ears. Fade-in, fiddle theme music.

“Next up on The Morning Show,” cue Cait’s radio voice, “we’ve got the one and only Minister of Finance, Mr. Jordan Baker joining us. Welcome Minister Baker, thank you so much for being here this morning.”

“Thank you, Caitlyn, for having me.” His brow is crunched and he glances at his watch.

“Now, the provincial government has just delivered one of the most dismal budgets in history. There have been tax hikes on gas, cigarettes, insurance, a two-percent increase on HST, even a tax on books, which now makes Newfoundland and Labrador the only province with a book tax. Minister, you were absolutely swarmed walking into the studio today. Very reminiscent of the cod moratorium announcement of 1992 in some ways. What do you have to say about the anger people are expressing over this?”

“Well, Caitlyn, I can certainly understand why folks are upset. It certainly will make a difference in the lives of citizens. But what I hope folks can understand is that this is temporary, and it’s necessary to get the province out of debt.”

“Perhaps the most controversial item is the Debt Reduction Levy that is being imposed on all incomes.

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