Garrett
Have you ever had a summer job? In Autumn? In a hurricane? I have. Let me explain;
I dashed down the street to locate my dog, Layla. She consistently gets out of our short-fenced townhouse. Eventually she gets disinterested and shows up. I then discovered an advertisement for a job raking leaves right here on Reniya Island. $10 an hour. I basically had a full-time job looking after my 5 younger siblings and money was tight, so any other job was worth looking at.
I read further into the job. The address was peculiarly familiar. 64 Ocean View Lane. Where had I heard that previously?
I speedily dialed the number on the flyer. There was barely any reception so everything that was said from the other end was just a pit of crackles. Eventually, I heard a deep tattered voice of a man with a time-worn british accent. “Hello?” The man delivered, which was followed by a great deal of crackles. “Hello, yes. I’m calling about the job on your flyer, the one on Montgomery Lane.” I announced. Instead of an answer all I got in return was a monstrous crackle. “I’ll just visit you at your house” I disclosed.
I captured Layla and brought her back home. I escorted to 64 Ocean View Lane. In the distance I examined a lovely little vintage cottage. Progressing to the front door, I gave a substantial knock.
A man with an aged face and a big build slightly opened the door. He displayed that he didn’t care about his appearance. He was extremely pale. His shredded green t-shirt and cruddy navy blue pants made him appear like a zombie.
“Hello!” I exclaimed. “I don’t buy cookies.” he bellowed through the small opening at the side of the door. He pounded the door shut leaving me with ringing in my ears. “I’m not selling cookies, I’m here for a job, raking leaves.” “You’re far too young for a job! What are you, twelve?”. I am actually seventeen. I look far more youthful than I really am, I always have. “I’m seventeen” I angrily added. The man chuckled. “Well then, I’m really forty-five, we all have our dream ages, but we can’t always be them.”
After what felt like hours of hostile conversation and him not showing his face, we finally came to an agreement; I am employed and that I am seventeen, not twelve. My first day was set to be on Tuesday.
I woke up promptly on Tuesday morning and switched on my television. The news was live but I didn’t really pay attention, just a bad fire outside Dellington, the city across the harbour. “You realise you have to look after the children today, right?” my mother vociferated up the stairs. My heart sunk. I didn’t even contemplate that I’d be busy Today. “Mother, I have to rake leaves for an old man.” I solemnly replied. “Why on Earth would you do that Janie?” She asked as she barged upstairs. “It’s my job now.” “Your job is looking after the children, remember?” “You don’t pay me!” I screamed. By now 3 of my siblings had awoken and were questioning our conversation. “Go back to bed” my mother gently whispered to the children. As for me, she mumbled “We will continue this conversation outside.”
I staggered outside and waited for my mother on the cold, moist, morning dewed top step of the entrance to our house. Layla saw I was stressed and gave me an affectionate lick on the cheek. My mother thumped the front door open. “So what’s this job you’re talking about?” They way she over-empathized ‘job’ sent shivers down my spine. “Well, my job is raking leaves for a man down in Ocean View Lane, $10 an hour” I explained. “That’s good pay for barely any work, Janie. It’s too bad you’ll have to quit.” “Wait, what?” I cried in disbelief. “You have to look after the children.” “What if I take them with me?”
I can’t believe my mother said yes! Let’s just hope the man, my boss, approves of my siblings playing in his garden.
It was around 12:20 pm, when my shift (if you could call it that) would begin in 10 minutes leaving me that amount of time to walk there with my siblings. I grabbed my rake and siblings and set off. When I looked up at the sky, it was overcast and rain was about to fall around us like a blanket. I forced my siblings inside to get their raincoats.
The wind blew like a whistle, the rain came down in buckets. The sky was gloomy and grey and me and my siblings were being blown around in the wind like little strands of hay. We made it to his house as the weather escalated. I knocked on the door and waited. My youngest sister, Maggie, was crying loudly, terrified. The man opened the door. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE? IN THE MIDDLE OF A HURRICANE?” He rushed us inside and went of down his hallway.
The room we were in was old and musty. Various objects laid around the room look like they haven’t been used in 30 or 40 years. It looked like a scene from a horror movie. The room’s atmosphere was humid and crummy. You could taste the bitter dust on the tip of your tongue. Mainly overcasted shades of brown, yellow, red and orange were in this room.
He came back with 6 towels, one for each of us. “Thank you!” we all chanted. “It’s fine” he replied angrily, as he slumped down onto his sofa. “You can sit if you want” he sighed and gestured to a couple stained seats and the dusty carpet.
“What’s your name sir?” my brother Christopher questioned. “Garrett” he moaned. “Well, these are my siblings Christopher, Jason, Penelope, Karen and Maggie. I’m Janie.” I announced as I pointed at all of us. “You might want to call someone at home and tell them to drive up and get you.” he alleged, changing the subject of conversation. “We don’t have a car” I explained.
Garrett turned on his television solemnly. The bingo was on but was interrupted by a ‘breaking news’ message. A sophisticated looking woman in a blouse seriously spoke in a low-toned voice. “Hurricane Olivia is passing over Reniya Island. Reniya Island residents, do NOT leave your houses. You’re in for a catastrophic tropical hurricane. Be safe!” The broadcast ended.
We all just sat in that dusty old living room in utter awe. No one said anything until Garrett broke the silence. “We don’t know how long this hurricane will last for, so you better stay the night.” “What about mummy?” Penelope worried. “I’m sure we’ll find a way to contact her” Garrett reassured. We dialed my mother’s number and she picked up. “Hello?” “Hi mother, it’s Janie, we’re all safe.” Then the line cut out.
Garrett told us stories all afternoon. He has a daughter named Krissie and two grandchildren, Bill and Anna. Garrett is a wonderful person. He was in World War Two as a pilot, he now has a fear of flying. He loves the rugby and spends most of his nights at the RSPCA. He hates modern music and loves classic rock. He has a bright cheerful personality.
He put us to bed at around 9 pm, in Krissie’s old room. It was a restless night with all the howling wind, but we managed.
In the morning, I got up to get a drink. Garrett was waiting at the table, with a serving of dipping egg and soldiers for each of us. I woke up the others and we all ate breakfast happily. Hurricane Olivia had passed over and was gone.
We said our goodbyes to Garrett and walked home in the flooding. Our mother was waiting for us at the front door. She ran and hugged all of us tightly. “I love you guys to bits!” She cried.
Garrett offered me a full time job gardening for him. We made a deal. He watches the children, I garden.
Layla got out again. I chased after her, when I came across a flyer for a job cooking for an old lady.
