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abandoning his precious memorabilia...until they surfaced in Manhattan.
Like a glutton, he requisitioned all three books in the series, never daring to ask their price, handing over his VISA at arm's length.
It took him another ten minutes to reach the grandly festooned Bloomingdales, one of the jewels of New York shopping. As he entered, a group of several chunky men in expensive suits and a female dressed in crimson stood at the foot of the magnificent and ornate stairs leading to the floors above, talking to each other while, at the same time, eyeing the customers.
He entered, a little bewildered, dressed as usual, like an overweight jogger.
"Can we help you?" one of them asked. They looked and spoke like high-end security.
He would not be intimidated. "Yes, you can. Where are your Christmas Gund bears?"
"Sorry, we're sold out. We had over three thousand. You should have come sooner." The chunky suit answered in polished politeness.
"We just arrived from Canada. The bear was for a little girl in our family who's in hospital. We thought it would be the perfect gift for her." Crestfallen, he felt his voice tremble.
The man stood for a moment sizing him up. "Come with me." He beckoned and promptly led him to a side office and asked him to sit down.
His visitor glanced around in trepidation. The airless, windowless chamber was dominated by a large walk-in safe.
The suit opened the safe and walked in, returning moments later with a chocolate brown Gund bear tucked neatly under his arm. A bright red and gold ribbon around the bear's neck authenticated its pedigree. The man handed it to him.
"Merry Christmas." The man smiled in amusement at his obvious discomfiture. He explained, "Our Christmas bears are most coveted. Each year we keep three locked away for someone just like you."
In typical American fashion, the man handed him his business card. It