Mr. Big (2 page)

“I can't imagine getting involved with someone in the military and having to move around all the time,” Jennifer said one day as she and Susan were visiting their friends John and Nicole one afternoon.

“Gander is big enough for me,” she said. “What would I do living in the big cities on the mainland?”

“I don't know,” said Nicole. “That man is determined, and I think you could have a pretty good life with him.”

“Well, I don't have any interest in moving around on the mainland,” snapped Jennifer.

The two sisters finished up their laughs and gossip with their neighbours and headed home for the afternoon.

They walked down the steps and headed across the walkway to their own building.

Along the way, Susan pointed out a fellow standing at the end of the walkway. “I wonder who that guy is,” she said. “He sure seems to be around quite a bit lately. He must be living in the building.”

Jennifer shrugged and continued the short walk back to her apartment building.

5

Gander was finally beginning to feel more and more like home for the Hicks sisters. Jennifer was enjoying her work and had a busy social life as well. And on those rare days they found themselves with nothing to do, the girls loved having coffee with their neighbours.

Last night, they had been out dancing until the early morning hours, and now Jennifer was preparing for yet another busy day. She and Susan had doctor appointments for the girls at noon, they needed groceries, and Jennifer was working the evening shift for a large wedding at the hotel.

Getting the girls ready was no easy task, even with two adults sharing the work. With the girls' limited mobility, it was sometimes tough getting them from the bath to the stroller.

Then there were the stairs to contend with. Living on the third floor with no elevator made mundane tasks seem impossible.

Today was no exception, but it was a job Jennifer cherished. She felt so happy to be able to take care of the nieces she loved so much.

Susan was getting the girls' shoes on, while Jennifer was finishing up the last of the morning dishes.

Finally, everything was in order and they were headed downstairs with the two smallest children in their strollers and the oldest walking alongside. As they crossed the parking lot, Jennifer noticed the odd man again. He appeared to be just quietly watching, but she made nothing of it. There were plenty of strange folks hanging around here in the heat of the summer.

They continued up the street and toward the medical clinic when Susan made a realization.

“Oh my God, Jennifer, how could I be so stupid? I've forgotten everything,” she said. “I need their medications and some information the specialist in St. John's gave me. There's a big yellow envelope sitting on the table, along with a paper bag with their pills.”

“Don't worry,” said Jennifer. “I'll catch up in a minute.”

Jennifer broke into a near-jog to make sure her sister had everything she needed for the appointment, and there wasn't much time.

She burst through the front door and up the steps. In a moment she was bouncing back down the stairwell with the items in her hand. She sprinted back outside, only to come to a complete and sudden stop that nearly took her breath away.

Standing in her path was the man she and her sister had noticed hanging about. He wasn't tall, and he had dark hair and dark eyes. His shoulders were broad and there was nowhere for Jennifer to run. When she tried to run to the left, he swiftly shifted his large body to block her path. And then he smiled.

She tried to go around him to the right. Again he blocked her. This time he laughed.

Frustrated, and a little scared, Jennifer pushed through to her left once more and finally made it past the intimidating man. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized he was laughing.

What was that?
she thought.
What a weird fellow.

Farther up the road, she turned around to look.

He was still watching, and grinning, like a child who had gotten the attention he was after.

“Nelson Hart,” said Nicole. “Dean is actually helping him move today. He's moving upstairs from building number three. They've been at it for the past couple of hours.

“To be honest, Jennifer, I'm not sure what his story is. I believe there are some sort of health issues with him,” explained Nicole. “I know he does have a home care worker over there. I think he gets a lot of help from his mother as well. He pops over from time to time for a chat.”

“Well, he's awfully strange,” said Jennifer. “He's blocked my path at least half a dozen times now. He doesn't say anything, just stands there and laughs. What's even stranger is that he doesn't do anything when there's someone with me.

“Susan and I have passed by him a number of times now. He doesn't speak or anything. Just watches us,” said Jennifer. “But when I'm alone, he blocks my way and laughs. To be honest, I'm a little scared of him.”

“Oh, don't worry,” said Nicole. “He's a little strange, but once you get to know him, he's no different than the rest of us, I suppose.”

Nicole was pouring up another cup of coffee when her boyfriend burst through the door.

“He's dying,” screamed Dean, who could barely catch his breath.

“What the hell are you talking about?” shrieked Nicole. She could see the panic in his eyes.

“It's Nelson,” he gasped. “Upstairs. He's dying on the floor.”

With that, Jennifer and Nicole ran up the stairs and into Nelson's apartment. He was on the floor, his entire body shaking intensely, and his mouth was foaming.

“Out of the way,” said Jennifer as she made her way over to him.

This wasn't the first time Jennifer had seen this type of seizure. She had seen it many times with her own sister. She quickly put a pillow under his head and called the ambulance.

After a few minutes, he came around, but was slightly confused. She could see he was also exhausted from the seizure. They helped him up onto the couch. Jennifer looked around at the stunned faces of her neighbours, and she was glad she was there to help.

6

The next time she saw Nelson Hart, they were both at Nicole's apartment, and there was no mention of either his seizure or their awkward encounters in the parking lot.

But the more they chatted, the more she saw him as a decent guy. He spoke confidently, but he was also humble. Even a bit shy, she observed.

Slowly she began to relax in his company as they continued to drink coffee and share the local gossip. Finally, it was time to go home.

“He seemed kind of normal,” laughed Susan as they made their way down the path. “After the stories you told me about him, I was expecting a monster. To be honest, Jennifer, he was looking at you like he was interested in more than just playing tag in the parking lot.”

“Well, he's not as odd as I first thought, but I'm still not sure I'd want to go out with him,” said Jennifer.

But Nelson Hart was starting to grow on Jennifer. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something oddly attractive about him.

The next time Jennifer dropped by for a visit with her neighbours, an eager Nelson showed up within minutes. With no job, there was plenty of time for Nelson to kill during a day.

This time he sat next to Jennifer.

“Are you working today?” he asked her.

“No, it's my day off. I just finished eight days straight,” she said. “I need to ask you something, Nelson. Why have you been blocking my path every time we see each other in the parking lot? I don't understand.”

Nelson lowered his head and suddenly took on a very boyish demeanour.

“That's the only way I knew how to let you know I liked you,” he mumbled.

After a considerable silence, he spoke once more. This time it was to ask her if she wanted to go out on a date.

Jennifer wasn't sure what to think. Should she go out with this guy? He was odd. But he was nice. And there was something about him that made her feel like he could take care of her, protect her.

“Sure,” she said.

They agreed that he would come by her apartment at seven. Shortly after their conversation, he left Nicole's apartment, and Jennifer went to her building to get ready.

She wondered what he had in mind for a date as she got ready.

She started with a long shower. Thoroughly washing her hair. As always, getting ready for Jennifer would take some time. But by six thirty she was ready and impeccably groomed.

Of course, neither Jennifer nor Nelson owned a car, so they were limited in their options as to how they would spend the evening. But they really weren't concerned with what they would do.

They left the apartment and just started to walk.

They walked through downtown, talking about their backgrounds. Nelson explained how he had grown up on the northeast coast as well. He was raised in the small town of Horwood and had moved to Gander.

He told her more about his seizures.

Some were minor, but the grand mal seizures could leave him feeling exhausted for days. The seizures were serious enough that he had lost his driver's licence.

After an hour or so, he took Jennifer's hand, and they instantly became a pair. It certainly wasn't a typical date. There were no flowers and he didn't buy her dinner. They strolled from store to store, eyeing luxuries that neither of them could afford. And at the moment, neither of them cared for anything but each other's company.

That night they went back to their respective apartments, knowing there would be a second date.

It was a couple of days before Jennifer could get an evening off work. But she was excited about the prospects of another evening with Nelson.

“You're seeing him again tonight?” Susan asked.

When date night finally arrived, Jennifer was really looking forward to being with him again. There was something in his personality that continued to draw her toward him, though she could still not quite pinpoint what it was.

“Yup. I'm really excited about seeing him again, too. He's just a good fellow,” said Jennifer.

Finally, Nelson knocked on the door, and he and Jennifer headed out for the evening.

“See you later,” Jennifer said to her sister.

From that day forward, the two were rarely seen apart.

7

It was October.

Jennifer followed Nelson up the long flight of stairs to his apartment. It was her first time visiting his place, but in her heart she already knew that at some point she would probably be calling this apartment home.

Depending on how things went today, of course.

Jennifer was anxious to see how he lived. She had firm values when it came to cleanliness. Not just over her personal hygiene, but she also believed a person's living environment should be equally pristine.

“Come on in,” said Nelson.

Jennifer slowly proceeded through the doorway, fearing the worst. Instead, she found an apartment that was absolutely spotless. Nothing was out of place, the floors were clean, the countertops were tidy, and the furniture was modest but in good condition.

“I'm impressed,” said Jennifer. “You like to keep things clean.”

“Well,” he said. “It's not entirely my doing. I have a personal care worker who comes by a few times a week. Government pays me $300 a month to hire her, because of the seizures. When she doesn't come, Mom usually helps out.

“You should move in here,” suggested Nelson.

It wasn't a request she had expected to hear so soon. Jennifer was taken aback, but at the same time, the idea excited her. Living with Nelson would mean she could finally have a place to call her own. Also, Nelson had become her best friend. It would be nice to have him near her each night. And as much as she loved her sister, the apartment was getting more and more crowded as her nieces grew older.