Federal Holiday
Sally fretted as she sat on the front steps of her quaint one-bedroom home, curling her blond hair tightly around her finger. She was deep in thought about whether she would be able to save enough money for Christmas presents around the tree this year, after Hurricane Milton evacuation expenses had taken a chunk out of her modest savings.
Sally felt lucky every single day for her job as a bank teller at SunBurst Bank. But with the way the economy was going, she worried about making monthly payments on the home — especially with rising property insurance. She bristled with anger instinctively at Joe Biden.
“Beep beep!” Sally’s niece shouted gaily, as she rode her tricycle back and forth in front of the house. Five-year-old Casey seemed not to have a care in the world, which delighted Sally and the whole family. Sally’s sister Karen, Karen’s husband Tom, and Casey were all now living together in that now very cramped one-bedroom home.
Karen’s family lost everything in Hurricane Milton. Their house was uninhabitable after Cat-5 winds tore off their roof and water surged into the first floor of their island home. Karen waited tables at a beachfront restaurant that closed down, and Tom no longer had a way to support himself after he lost his job as a singer on the Starlight Express dinner yacht cruise from Siesta Key.
At least he could croon Christmas tunes to keep them in the spirits of the season. “Sing me a song, Daddy!” Casey cried, eyes fixed firmly on the pavement ahead of her as she pedaled along.
Tom did his best Mariah Carey impression, belting out, “I don’t want a lot for Christmas / There is just one thing I need!”
Sally clapped and bopped her head to the music, but it didn’t ease her worry. There really was something she needed for Christmas — to get her sister’s wonderful family back on their feet and out of her house. And then to build up her savings nest egg again.
The next day Sally was at the bank, waiting on customers, when she got a surprise phone call from Karen.
She learned that Karen had to rush to school to pick up Casey, who wasn’t feeling well and ended up in the school nurse’s office.
“Sally, could you rush to our old house right now? I’m expecting some repairmen to stop by to help with the house, and I need someone to let them in. Tom is out applying for jobs, so he can’t be there either. I really need you.”
Sally hated asking her manager if she could leave early, but she would do anything for her sister. Fortunately, it was a slow day and the manager winked at Sally, “I got this!” he said.
Sally rushed to the island home and loitered on the old front porch, which was barely hanging together. She looked up, frustrated to see a drone in the sky passing by. No one was in sight. “Deep state! Go home!” she shouted.
Just then she heard a car door slam down the block and the silhouette of a tall, dark-haired man came into view, walking toward her. He looked buff and trim, perfectly filling out a mesh navy vest emblazoned with a bright yellow stripe across it. He wore a navy ball cap as well.
Sally always liked a man in uniform. She was expecting a repairman, but this was something else.
As he walked closer, she saw the red lettering on the vest: “FEMA.”
Sally clenched her purse closer to her body. She kept her Colt Magnum Carry in a pocket in the purse. What would the feds want with someone like her — or her sister?
“Heidy ho!” boomed the sturdy, ball-capped man. “I’m Jacob Prince from FEMA, and I’m here to inspect the house of Karen and Tom Archway. Is this the residence?”
“Yes,” Sally replied, nervously. She quickly texted Karen to ask if she was expecting FEMA, too. Karen quickly replied, “YES.”
“Okay, go on in!” Sally told the FEMA inspector. He spent about 30 minutes walking inside and outside the premises taking notes and photos. When he was done, he told Sally, “I have some excellent, or not-so-excellent, news for your sister and her husband. I am officially condemning this property. I can communicate all the information she needs to her insurance company, as well as get her set up for benefits — hotel expenses, D-SNAP food benefits, you name it.”
Sally couldn’t stop looking at Jacob’s blue eyes. “Hotel expenses, did you say?” Sally thought it would be wonderful to get her family the extra space — much better than her cramped little one-bedroom abode.
“You got it!” Jacob said. “Here’s my card. I’ll contact them right away with the details and get them set up with our emergency response team.” Sally was relieved.
Next weekend, Sally was out at the Bradenton Riverwalk Skatepark with Casey watching the young skateboarders hurling themselves off ramps. Sally took Casey to give Karen and Tom a much-needed break on their own to get the condemned house affairs settled. Casey watched the skaters with rapt attention. She wanted to be just like them someday, as soon as she graduated from her tricycle.
Sally was leaning against a railing, gazing upon the Manatee River and watching a traffic jam pile up over the bridge again. Such a piece of paradise here! And yet she and the locals were getting priced out.
“Hey there, good looking!” a deep voice called. Sally turned around. It was Jacob.
She blushed at the compliment, caught unprepared. “Deep voice from the deep state,” Sally thought and chuckled. She was almost embarrassed to find her heart fluttering at words from a federal agent.
“You got any plans tonight?” he said. “I’m new to town, from Baltimore, and I don’t know anything about Bradenton. What’s there to see in this town?”
Sally’s heart surged. “Why I’d love to tell you about the Friendly City! Once I drop off my niece back at her parents’ hotel, let me show you around.” Even Sally was surprised at how bold she felt.
Sally loved the idea of showing off Bradenton’s holiday cheer at Christmastime. She took him to the Manatee Historical Village, toured the neighborhoods where she knew they had the best Christmas lights and most beautiful houses (far more beautiful than hers!), and then they got ice cream together from a stall back by the river. “I just love this place, Bradenton,” said Jacob. “I’ve never seen a place so magical.” A solitary egret with snowy white plumes flew overhead.
As the sun set, they talked and talked, Sally sharing far more of herself than she was prepared to share. Jake’s reassuring smile and gentlemanly courtesy set her at ease. She told him of the rising property insurance increases in Manatee County and her concerns about her future as a bank teller in the age of AI. He told her about his fears of others’ fears of FEMA, as well as his pride in a union job with good benefits, a pension, and more. He could soon transition to a work-from-home position as well, to help connect even more disaster survivors with benefits. He was looking to relocate, get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. “Biden’s made all this possible. I’m so grateful right now,” he said.
Sally suddenly realized this all had the potential for so much more. A tingle raced through her whole body.
“You have any plans for Christmas this year?” Sally asked.
“No, but I’m in Bradenton and have time and paid time off,” Jacob said.
“It’s a Federal Holiday.”
Fireworks went off across the Manatee River. Sally smiled.
