Page 74 of A Rose of Steel
“So, I hear that you are taking over Harley’s practice.”
That was gossip, sure enough, not the kind I was fishing for, and somehow I knew my Auntie Zanne had started it.
“No,” I said. “County Commissioners offered it to me, but I’m going back to Chicago.”
“Oh,” she said. “When are you going back?”
Good question.
“I have to find a job first. The job I had downsized.”
“Then why go back looking for one, if you have a job here?”
Sounded like she’d been talking to Auntie Zanne.
Or maybe, Romaine, that just makes sense...
“The new facility looks really nice,” I said. “I think Doc Westin would have been pleased.”
“I know he would’ve,” she smiled, “he was always complaining about that old one. And besides me wanting you to keep me company, I appreciate you bringing me his things. I thought there must’ve not been anything worth keeping after I didn’t hear from Miriam once she got the place packed up.”
“The new office inherited everything that was left,” I said. “When they finished the new place, I had all the things from the old office moved to the new one.”
“I see,” she said and nodded. “I just figured that there wasn’t anything personal he’d left.”
“Did you say Miriam before?” I asked, my mind just catching up with my ears. “Do you mean Miriam Colter?”
“Yes. She helped Harley out sometimes. A nurse of sorts.” She nodded a confirmation. “Mostly with the seniors, and then down at the office.” She chuckled. “Not with autopsies or anything like that. Harley did those all by himself.”
“Oh that was nice of Mrs. Colter,” I said to Mrs. Westin, but to myself I said, “What?” I couldn’t believe my ears. I cleared my throat. “So, Miriam Colter packed up Dr. Westin’s office?”
“I already told you that, dear.” She looked at me. “Can you hear me okay?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said. I had heard her loud and clear, I was just distracted because I knew what was in those boxes and now I knew it had been Miriam Colter who had put it there. “I just saw Mrs. Colter today.”
“You did?” she asked.
“Yes, she was with the JOY Club at Angel’s Grace. They were working on mums for homecoming.”
“Homecoming,” Mrs. Westin said. “This’ll be the first year I’ll miss it. Harley and I would go every year. He loved football you know. He didn’t care if it was high school, college or professional.”
“I haven’t been to a football game since I can’t remember when.”
“Oh, I enjoy them,” she said. “Harley’s favorite season.” She smiled at the memory. “And Harley loved to rub elbows with the players. Every year he’d have the varsity over for a bar-b-que.”
“Roble’s varsity team?” I asked.
“Do you need to sit closer to me?” she asked. “So you can hear?”
Auntie Zanne was always asking me if I had cotton in my ears. It wasn’t that I couldn’t hear, it was that I surprised at what she was saying and I wanted to make sure I got it right.
“No ma’am,” I said. “I can hear you just fine. I was just surprised that Doc Westin invited the high school team over.”
“Why?” she said and looked at me.
It was true, I didn’t know much about him so how could something he did surprise me? I didn’t know what was usual for him and what wasn’t.
“I don’t know,” I said and shrugged, trying to make up for my uninformed response. “You know how sometimes young people don’t like to hang out with people who are much older.”
