Cinq A Sept

HEAT

Chapter 3 - Part 1

Fill had gradually gotten to know the folks in staying the cottages adjacent to him. They all got together at 4 PM every day - something they referred to as 'happy hour'. They discussed the events of the day but  very astutely avoided politics and religion. Snacks were always provided by someone and of course everbody had a drink of choice - Fill's today was Yeungling Amber.

David - of which there were two - so David north - was quite a project guy and needed something to work on to keep his interest up. He had repaired a picnic table the day before - replaced all the rotting top and underneath supporting members.

Fill had actually watched that episode - Fill liked work - he could watch it all day. His old man used to say that - not any more.

The reason Fill had become so fascinated with the picnic table repair was that someone had showed up out of the blue to help - and with a French accent no less. And when I say French, I mean Quebecois; not Parisian.

Fill could see that he wasn't adding much to the operation but he did add a a degree of humour and irreverence  which for a silent observer, can be a source of endless entertainment; and thus Fill's interest.

Fill gathered from the conversation that his name was Jenade - or most likely a bastardized version of his name that everybody could pronounce as opposed to his real name.

When Fill had let his attention to the repair lapse, all of a sudden Jenade was right there - 'what - no fish today?' - Fill was startled a bit but very quickly recovered - 'later'.

'That's quite a project you've got going over there', Fill said - 'oh yeah - but it's happy hour at Bert's so I'm done' - and - just like that - off he went.

Later that day at the gatherings happy hour - and not Bert's - conversation eventually turned to Jenade - originally from Quebec - came down here years ago - opinion differed on whether he was an alcoholic - opinion did not differ that he did indeed enjoy a drink.

He was living with an alcoholic - they couldn't remember the name - but it was in town somewhere - close to all the bars - where liquor was so cheap, alcoholism could be funded quite easily.

Not too far from Fill, in an old abandoned sailboat hull in the mangrove, Lou was playing with a BBQ lighter, shooting the flame directly into his eye sockets of an osprey he was tormenting. Lou now needed another derelict to befriend for a while. He had seen this character in town at the bars - a distinct French accent ....