Good morning all. Personally I could do with a few more hours of sleep but I will be making do with caffeine. While it is brewing, let’s jump into the morning prompt and see if that helps with the wake up. Timers set and off we go.
A little more awake. And I kind of like the character I created. No clue about the story I want to put him in, but I like the character.
Thursday, July 17th: The cool of the shadows felt delightful.
The cool of the shadows felt delightful. The sun was brutal today and he spent much of his time standing directly under the punishing rays. He had moved from a broken down water pump to a flat tire that needed changing and a rain gutter that had come loose from the eaves. He and his tool kit moved at a slow and steady pace from each project to the next, finishing one before starting the other. He had a pottle of water with him. It started out half ice as he froze it half full in his freezer over night and then topped off with water when he left the house. Throughout the day the ice melted.
Now the ice was long gone and the water was warm, tasting almost like it had been boiled. Still standing in the shade of the shed’s overhang, he drank down the last of the warm water and felt grateful for the hydration. Today had been worse than usual. Partially it was because of the lack of wind. The air just hung there like a damp sheet he had to push through to get from one task to the other. The air humidity was high but not high enough to tip the scales into rain. Perhaps when the sun went down the few degrees of difference would let at least a few drops solidly coalesce and fall to the ground. As he was certain it would hit the sun baked earth and just sizzle back up into steam, he doubted it would make much of a difference.
The real problem was Ms. Mary. She watched him from the house, peeking through the blinds and around the edges of curtains. She never left the airconditioned box of a house but she also never stopped watching him. He had never done her any wrong, but she knew his father back in the day and Ms. Mary still held a grudge for whatever wrong he did her.
As his father did so much wrong to so many people before he ran himself out of town to find a new place to grind down there was no telling what grudge Ms. Mary held or how it applied to him. Still He was hired to do the work and he would do it. If Ms. Mary wanted to watch him do the work then so be it.
He took out his bandana from his back pocket and wiped it across his forehead. It was damp from previous use but it still kept the drips from falling. He shoved it back into his pocket and took out the list he was given. He consulted it and realized he had made it to the end. This day in the sun was over. He put his empty bottle in his tool box and locked it tight. He then lifted it up and made his slow and ponderous way to his truck. He parked it in the shade but knew he would still need to let the hot air out before he could sit in it. It was just that sort of day. He placed his tool box in the back, using the bungie cords to ensure it didn’t slide around as he drove and then opened the truck door. A wave of heat wiggled through the air as it escaped the confines of the truck cab. He turned away and saw Ms. Mary peeking around the edge of a curtain. He waved at her and the curtain twitched back into place as she stepped away.
‘Apparently it is one thing to watch and another to know someone knows you’ve been watching.’
He figured the blast of heat was as gone as it was going to be and he slid inside his truck. He closed the door and started the engine, letting it get used to running while he fastened his seatbelt.
Locked into place he shifted into drive and headed down the long drive to the main road. Not for the first time, he thought about hitting the main road and not stopping, leaving this town full of people like Ms. Mary behind.
Ten til Midnight 