Jonny Sunshine

At 6am, small rustles from nature were the only disturbance to The Lakeside Shop and Bait. The season had closed the weekend previously, and most folks had locked up their cabins, choosing to spend Thanksgiving with family in the suburbs; but not old Jonny Sunshine. 1

Jonny Sunshine broke the music of the dawn chorus, jangling his keys and whistling up to the side door. The metal of the lock squealed in protest, and the door jamb braced itself for the man's shoulder. Finally, it shuddered, gave up and let the gangling frame of the old Indian inside.2

Dust motes fought for attention in a stray beam of daybreak, and swirled to investigate the path of the human invader. A rainbow of refracted light broke into Lazar beams through the old broken window at the 'Drive Thru' section (Harv's city invention, which the locals used as an impromptu bar and grill).3

Jonny made his way through coiled ropes, oil cans and salvaged out-board motors, like a blind man around his own kitchen. He located the oil lamp which he knew to be full and wicked, struck his Harley Davidson lighter and basked in the warm, amber glow which spread its light into the dark corners of the weighing bench. Turning to the lines and flies shelf he was met with the territorial hiss and claws of Tim Roth. Tim Roth, Harv's cat (not the actor). Jonny smiled, shook his head and shooed the cantankerous cat away. Why it loved Harv, was anybody's guess; but it sure didn't have an ounce of respect for anyone else, least ways Jonny Sunshine.4

He set to storing up the old summer stock, putting out the winter range (bigger on Hunting, less on Fishing), generally tidied up, and avoided Tim Roth. The weak Fall sunshine spluttered higher in the gray clouds above the lake, as Jonny pulled back the shutters, turned off the oil lamp and put out the 'Bait Ammo 'n' latte' sign, Harv said would drive the folks wild with consumerism.5

{i}Think of the Devil{/i}, he thought, {i}and he turns up grinnin'{/i}. The growl of Harv's worn transmission, cut through the tree line like a chainsaw. The tires spread shale missiles into the bushes as he threw the old Pontiac into park (over a couple of spaces). Jonny Sunshine nodded to the shuddering beast and her driver, stepped back inside and pulled the coffee off the stove.6

"Been like this all morning?" Harv greeted, stamping off wet leaves and mud on to the freshly swept boardwalk.7

"Oh, yeah."8

"Done and got the Winter Range out and ready?"9

"Oh, yeah."10

"Well, I just don't understand it, Jonny. No, I do not!" 11

This said, Harv grabbed his favorite chipped mug from under the counter, and let Jonny fill it to the brim with steaming black liquor. "Want a latte?" he asked, raising his eyebrow in amusement.12

"Don't talk as stupid as you look, Jonny," Harv answered, breaking away from the conversation and heading back out onto the boardwalk.13

"See this?" Harv continued, as Jonny joined him. His arm gestured to the parking lot containing the Pontiac. "Where have I gone wrong, huh?"14

Jonny Sunshine kept quiet, he'd seen this routine before and knew the question to be a rhetorical one. The men drew up a couple of 'Authentic and Rustic charm filled' wooden chairs ($500 a pair!) and contemplated the empty dirt road, and clear, empty lake.15

"I rue the day I ever put that 'suggestion box' in the store," Harv let the coffee burn his throat, gulping it down, hard, "{i}I want a latte, I want a washroom, I want provisions, I want the new Stephen King{/i}; and what has it got me? An empty store, an extra outhouse to clean, food going sour, and a 'no return' policy with the book clearance center. Heck, Jonny, I sure am glad no-one else will hire you with that tick of yours. I'd hate to have to pay a real wage to someone for doing shit."16

Feeling exorcised in some way, Harv stood, spat on the decking and threw the coffee dregs over the wooden rail.17

"Just lock up at dusk, and be sure to feed Tim Roth if you see him."18

Then he was off, Jonny shook his head and not because of the tick. He watched the Pontiac drift on the corner as Harv over-steered, and then went back to setting out the store, just the way he was paid to. 19

No doubt about it; best job in the world, once the Boss had been for the week.20

(766 words)