Even with the new photo hobby I was becoming bored again. From my last experience with boredom I knew that I would need to be careful. I had a tendency to take unnecessary risks when I was bored.

I read the newspaper, such as it was, to try to find something to do. A twice weekly newspaper covering the small town and surrounding area almost never had an interesting story. Maybe if I had a kid in high school or had some interest in the local government, there would be something in it for me. Even though there was nothing of interest, I read it religiously. I had to wonder how many others read it, just in case.

I was sitting on a bench watching the river and the marina for something of photographic interest when I heard him. "Are you Mike Abrams?"

I turned to look at the man much younger than me. "That would depend on whether I owe you money?"

"No you don't owe me money," he replied.

He looked a little lost so I continued to bewilder him. "Then, do you owe me money?"

"No Sir, I don't think I do." He seemed to have finally caught on that it was just crap talk.

"Then I might be Mike," I replied with a smile.

There was a long pause then he said, "Becky over at the high school suggested I talk to you."

"Oh, you look kind of old to be a student and young to have a kid going there."

There was another long pause before he replied. "I'm thirty two so you are right."

Since he didn't seem to be ready to explain just yet, I asked. "How do you know Becky and why did she think you should talk to me."

She and I are dating, kinda."

Well that certainly explained why Becky had not been around. After another few seconds of dead air I asked, "What does kinda mean?"

It was a couple of seconds before he answered. "It means we are dating but nobody knows."

"Now look?" I left it open so he had to give me a name before I continued.

"Ed, Edward Hollis," he interjected.

"Ed, what you need to do is to get in your car and drive over to the diner across the street. Once you get inside you need to tell them you want a large coffee, to go. Then you need to bring that coffee back to me. I refuse to drag answers out of you without more coffee."

He looked at me a moment, then he nodded and walked toward his car. He could have saved himself a trip to the diner by just telling me what the hell he wanted.