Danger Bay Cyber-Story—Chapter Six
Edited by Boomer Jack Boardman
We continue our repackaged re-runs:
[Episode 14(a)—Spending Labor Day in Danger Bay, by Jay Merton]
[Episode 14(b)—Spending Labor Day in Danger Bay II, by Jay Merton]
[Episode 15—the Codger & Fred Jaworski Arrive! by Jay Merton (writing as Molly Halloran)]
Happy Labor Day, Gentle Readers! It is a fine Saint Paul, Minnesota morning with the temperature a pleasant 65ºF. I was just thinking that all too soon we’ll be reporting temperatures in degrees below zero [[shudder]]!
Pleasant as the weather is in Saint Paul, we decided to have our chipped & well-used “Codger Collectible (January ’07 Edition) Mugs” of organically & shade-grown, fair-trade, Guatemalan-Roast coffee, here in Danger Bay at Silverthorn’s Café instead. We both have a very busy Labor Day in front of us in the Real World.
As we clumped up on the boardwalk and entered the café, we saw Hiram, Sr. behind the counter, Medlar Farkleberry, and an old geezer (who we haven’t yet met) at the counter.
We headed for our usual table, the one by the front plate-glass window when Hiram called out: “G’mornin’ fellas. Please have a seat here at the counter—it’s too early for me to be traipsing all the way over there.”
“Saving your energy for the morning rush?” Boomer asked as we ambled over to the counter.
“The Sparrow is making her first Voyage from the harbor this morning,” Hiram replied as we sat at the counter between Lar and the strangely familiar looking geezer, “Maggie tells me they have 30 reservations for the trip, so I figured I’d better save my energy for REAL customers.”
“Aww Hiram,” Lar piped up, “That ain’t what ya’ told me when these fellers came in th’ door, You said: ‘Let’s jes see who wins a battle o’wills, me—or that stubborn old man—bet I kin get ‘em ta sit at th’ counter!’ That’s what ya said.”
“Stubborn old man?” the geezer next to me piped up, “Just a short time here and he’s already got you pegged!”
I took a closer look at the geezer (in Minnesota—we don’t generally stare at people we don’t know—part of our passive-aggressive nature) and realized who it was: “M…” I began, but was interrupted by Boomer:
“…Jay! We gave him back that name for his own purposes—remember?”
“The ‘Codger,’ as he is known in these parts,” Hiram said, “used to fish commercially, until 61 was re-routed away from Danger Bay. Used to sell fresh Lake Trout from his shop on the pier, but the realignment of the highway caused his business to dry up. In fact, that’s where you guys have your office now.”
“Yep,” the Codger added, “I left the blog, but kept the keys. I have all the passwords (heh-heh), so I can visit whenever I wish, and regale you with my wit & wisdom.”
“But, who drew you?” I asked, taken aback just a little, “You can’t draw worth spit!”
Boomer only smiled.
“OK, there’s only one ex-Codger left,” I thought aloud, “but he says he’s waaay too busy for this stuff anymore.”
[Episode 14(b)]: Meanwhile, back to Danger Bay—where time has no meaning—the conversation at Silverthorn’s Café continues:
“Is this where we meet for the boat trip?” came a voice from the entry. The familiar voice belonged to former Codger Fred Jaworski.
“FRED!” I shouted in greeting, “Wait—who are you now? Are you still Fred? Or, like Carl and this old goat to my left, have you assumed yet another phony identity?”
“Still Fred,” he replied with a smile, “The identity I used as a Codger will do just fine here. So, when does the boat tour leave?”
“Nine o’clock,” Boomer answered, “Still plenty of time. How did you find out about it?”
“Molly emailed me.”
“Jay! Molly’s completely out of control!” Boomer exclaimed, “Fictional characters simply do not send emails to real people!”
“Molly does,” the Codger piped up, “It would seem you imagined a too-strong character. Meanwhile, back on the farm in the thirties…”
“Wasn’t that farm in Owatonna, Minnesota,” Boomer interrupted, smiling, “South of Medford?”
“Codger,” I broke in with exasperation, “knock it off with the interjecting of inappropriate tag-lines, and Boomer—you just HAD to use the banned M-word, didn’t you! This is simply not advancing this Danger Bay episode”
[Episode 15]: First, before we continue with the story, as the “Official Author” of the Danger Bay Stories series here on Our Saint Paul, I feel I must apologize to our Gentle Readers for allowing Boomer and especially Jay to muck up our story line. I should have known better. Go ahead Jay—just try to delete me!
The story continues with Fred, Boomer, Jay and the Codger, all enjoying their mugs of organically & shade-grown, fair trade, Danger Bay-Roast coffee, along with Hiram Silverthorn:
“Fred,” Hiram asked, “are you just here for the boat tour?”
“At this point, yes,” Fred replied, “but this Danger Bay of yours may have some possibilities as an escape destination for me. I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Hiram Silverthorn, at your service,” he introduced himself, “owner & operator of this fine establishment.”
“Pleased to meet you Hiram,” Fred replied, “This is fine coffee.”
“You can blame Jay for that!” he replied, smiling, “Jay took some exception to the coffee we were serving when he arrived and convince me to try this stuff.”
“I’ll just add that to my list,” Fred smiled.
“We’re all here now, Fred,” Jay said, “Carl, Med—oops—the Codger, you and I—at least most of us…”
“I miss Harold too,” Fred replied, “but hey, there are still five of us here.”
“Your math is off,” Jay replied, “there are only four of us remaining.”
“Boomer,” Fred suggested, “is here, right?”
“Boomer’s not a Codger!”
“Why?”
“Why indeed?” the Codger asked, and then added, “He’s certainly curmudgeonly enough! And he seems to always be around.”
Why indeed!
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