A Christmas Spectacle to Bear by Jennifer Hilt

Author:Jennifer Hilt [Hilt, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mister Rochester Press
Published: 2016-12-06T06:00:00+00:00

Fourteen hours later, after his ER shift, Caleb pulled his aging Subaru Outback into the parking lot of his foster mother’s retirement housing complex. He wanted to get this visit over with.

He exhaled. He’d not seen Vera since he left for Anchorage. But he’d talked to both her and a hospital social worker, Michelle, on the phone. Michelle had been candid with him. “She’ll need help with meals, laundry, and personal care. Budget cuts have decimated social services. Now’s the time to crack open the piggy bank.”

Michelle had also invited him to call her when he got back to town.

His foster mother had no savings, and bills had accumulated over her illness. They’d be sent to collections soon unless he could do something about them. He’d take care of them, along with his own medical-school loans. The extra work at the S&S would come in handy this one last time. Outside her door, he wondered if she could even hear the doorbell chime over the TV volume.

“Who is it?”

“Caleb.”

“Caleb who?”

“You only know one.”

“Who was the greatest illusionist that ever lived?”

“The Great Mancini.” Her dead husband had passed away before Caleb came to live with her.

Bolts, chains, and locks twisted on the other side.

She opened the door a crack. “Oh. It’s you.”

Caleb pushed down his irritation. She was a frail woman in her early eighties. She was the closest thing he’d ever had to family.

Better not to dwell on that.

She opened the door enough for him to slide in. He kissed the papery skin on her cheek and presented her with an arrangement of daisies.

“I hope you swiped them from a dead patient’s room,” she said.

“I don’t swipe flowers. I’m a physician now.”

Vera snorted, waving him inside before locking them in. The combined aromas of talcum powder, hairspray, and scented candles made his eyes water. After ten minutes of hearing about all her complaints, the idea of picking up a few shifts at the casino no longer seemed so disagreeable.

What got to him most was the clutter. Caleb craved order the way some people craved sweets or red meat. Old newspapers, empty jam jars containing miscellaneous buttons, and stacks of paper covered every flat surface.

“Mrs. Neidermider goes through my garbage bin at night,” Vera said when she noticed his look. She made her way to her patched-up leather recliner.

“Isn’t she still in a wheelchair?” Caleb asked. He was glad she hadn’t tried to hug him. Affection made him uneasy. It was too unpredictable.

It took some effort for Vera to get situated. He remained standing. The visit wouldn’t be long enough to disturb the chaos of debris.

“My trash bin is always turned over in the mornings, with the papers strewn all over.”

“That’s probably a bear.”

“What business would a bear have with my papers?” She batted a hand. “She’s always wanted this apartment. The banana bread she brought over when I came home from the hospital had nuts in it. Everyone knows I’m allergic to nuts.”

“Maybe you should be getting out more,” Caleb said.

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