Tales of Accidental Genius Read Free Page A

waiting almost an hour, a young man burst through double doors, his unfastened lab coat billowing like a cape. A few of the cats hissed.
    The vet chatted with the receptionist for a few minutes, then looked into the sea of faces and signaled for the old man to come forward.
    The bus ride home was miserable. The old man had felt certain that a trained animal doctor would have been able to help with Piper’s condition. But then as the bus neared his stop and people stood to alight, the old man was struck dumb by the enlarged words of an advertisement on the back of someone’s newspaper.
    YOUR BEST FRIEND IS WAITING TO MEET YOU
    AT GERALD’S PET PARADISE . . .
    Below the slogan were cartoon pictures of dogs, cats, ferrets, and a smiling goldfish with bright teeth and long eyelashes. Theold man strained to see, but without his glasses it was difficult to read. People pushed past, trying to get off the bus before the doors closed. When the driver told the old man he was blocking the exit, the woman lowered and folded her newspaper in one motion, then held it out.
    â€œTake it,” she said. “They’re free.”
    The old man sat grinning in the bus shelter as he read the page over and over again. Soon, the failure of his afternoon had quite dissolved.
    The shop was only a few streets away, and with Piper at home in extremis, the old man forced himself to stand and start walking briskly in the direction of Gerald’s Pet Paradise.
    When the last customer of the night burst in, Akin Okunadi, the young assistant, was playing a game on his phone, waiting for the owner to get back and close up for the night.
    The old man looked around at all the colorful things for sale and, after regaining his composure, shuffled toward the counter past a stack of empty cages hung with miniature Christmas stockings.
    When Akin saw the customer approach, he slipped the device into his pocket and asked if he could help.
    â€œI would like to talk with somebody who knows about goldfish,” the old man said.
    â€œIf it’s food or filters, then I can help.”
    The old man looked Akin up and down. “I’m afraid it’s more serious than that.”
    â€œYou’d best wait for the manager then. He should be back in a minute. He deals with what’s in the tanks.”
    â€œNo, no, I’m not here to buy a goldfish,” insisted the old man, “but to get some advice on one.”
    â€œWell, you’d better wait, because my only experience is when my brother got one at the fair.”
    â€œOh, it’s nice they still do that,” the old man said buoyantly. “What did your brother name him?”
    â€œHe never got a chance. It died in the bag on the way home.”
    The old man looked at his shoes and said how very sorry he was.
    â€œHe only had it an hour,” Akin laughed.
    â€œAn hour, a week, a decade,” said the old man. “A fish is a fish.”
    Along the street, lights were going out one by one as shopkeepers closed up and went home for the night.
    â€œI ain’t seen you come in before, mister.”
    â€œThat’s because I get Piper’s food and filters by mail order. I haven’t needed a pet shop—until now, that is. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me before.”
    Then he asked if Akin had heard anything about the snowstorm they were supposed to be having. The young assistant wondered if it would affect the bus service.
    A few minutes later, the shop door swung open wildly.
    â€œIt’s bloody raining!” Gerald shouted, not realizing they had a customer. “They always get it wrong, don’t they?”
    When he appeared from behind a rack of fake mice and rubber bones, he saw the old man standing at the counter.
    â€œYou must be the manager,” the old man said.
    â€œThat’s right, but I’m afraid we’re closing in a few minutes.”
    â€œHe’s been waiting for you,” Akin