A Quiet Man (07)

Turning seventy brought with it a number of challenges. Davis knew he definitely was not a young man anymore. He'd long since abandoned the denial that comes with being old but, honestly, there were times when being this old made him blue.

Over the years, the Quiet Man's notoriety had grown. From the time that busload of curious uni kids to that boisterous bevy of ladies down the road, Davis recalled fondly his many encounters. Sister Janna had relocated to another community and her replacement, younger and a little wilder, had her own ideas of contemplation.

Not all such encounters were welcome. Besides his partying neighbours and the nymph-like Sister Delphine, Davis also had problems with Jedd-the-Klutz. This local sleaze was known for everything from knocking over people's bins to threatening people with irradiated rubber chickens to flat-out breaking into people's houses. That night that Jedd had visited him, for instance.

Luckily he'd had the foresight to invest in a small motion sensor. It had not taken long for the cops to come and he'd salvaged a few more hours' sleep. These interruptions did not come often and, for the most part, Davis was still very content with his tent and few sticks of furniture his admirers had left him.

Still, there were those days when he felt a lot more than his age.

END.