CHAPTER 2 - THE HUMMER
The ringing jarred Jason awake and he fumbled for the phone. "Daylight in the swamp boys," the recording boomed. "Tumble out and come on down to breakfast."
He hung up the phone and looked at the clock. 6:00 a.m.? He fell back on his pillow and closed his eyes. His uncle and aunt ran the old historic Silver Lode Hotel, and the family lived in the group of rooms by the utility and storage areas. The recording was Uncle Matt's idea of a cheery wakeup call for the boys.
It was warm and humid. Daniel must have already shut off the air conditioning. They were only supposed to run it at night. At home he slept with the window open, and there was usually a cool morning breeze blowing in. But it didn't look like he would be spending another summer there.
As Daniel opened the bathroom door, steam flowed out making the already stuffy room more uncomfortable. Jason sat up and pulled himself out of bed. On his way to the shower he saw Daniel's clothes lying on the already neatly made bed. He glanced back at the crumpled sheets on his own bed. He hadn't even gotten his underwear out of the drawer yet, let alone decided what to wear.
After his shower he put on shorts and the first T-shirt he found. He picked up the Spanish Milled dollar.
"I don't want to carry this thing around all day," he said. "Where can I hide it?"
Daniel frowned in concentration as he scanned the room. "I know. We'll give it to Spidy." He opened the closet door and pulled down a plastic statue of Spiderman. "An old friend with a secret." He flipped it upside down and popped off the bottom revealing a cavity large enough to hold the coin. "It wasn't meant to be a secret compartment, but it works out pretty neat that way." He placed it back on the top shelf, and they went down to breakfast.
Jason was on his second bowl of cereal when Uncle Matt set his cup down with a thump. "How'd you boys like to join the tour of Haunted Cave today?"
"Haunted Cave?" Jason said.
Katie jumped up. "Oh, but Daddy, I wanted to go before anyone arrives and set up the lighting effects. I have some new ideas that I think will create just the right mood for your story."
Daniel took a breath, but before he could say anything she added, "It would look good on my college application." Her smile had an annoying sweetness.
Daniel slumped back in his chair and his breath came out in a "humph." The boys exchanged oh-be-real looks.
Matt frowned at them and said to his wife. "I suppose the boys could help out in the gift shop this morning."
Katie rushed to say, "Just 'til the Hummer gets in. The tour doesn't start till 11:00."
Jason felt his stomach tighten. He still remembered working the concession stand last year at summer camp. After his dismal failure at trying to work the cash register, he spent the rest of the week sweeping the floor. "Uh?you mean like waiting on customers?" Jason said.
"Yeah!" Daniel said. "It'll be great. We can handle it Dad."
Suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore.
Jason's feet felt heavy as he followed his cousin to the snack shop.
"It won't get too busy till lunchtime," Daniel said. He unlocked the door and flipped on the light. "Want to run the cash register or scoop ice cream?"
"Ice cream. It's cooler." With relief, Jason found himself standing behind the counter trying to read the flavors backwards. Anything was better than facing the electronic monster. He still remembered the camp cash register with its poisonous green display light. The cryptic keys that were a trap for his hesitant fingers. The incessant chirping until the drawer flew open like the maw of a ravenous animal, daring him to reach in and make change.
He looked at the clock. They'd been open for five minutes already. What was it Uncle Matt had said? They'd have to fill in until the Hummer arrived. What was a Hummer?
The bell over the door jingled, and for the next couple hours he scooped ice cream and handed out toasted bagels. He was doing okay, but Daniel was a natural. He smiled and chatted with the customers like they were long lost friends. It didn't take him long to sell out the Haunted Cave tour.
The crowd thinned out to one customer. A stout middle aged woman. As Jason handed her a bagel that was too crisp around the edges, the bell over the door jangled vigorously. A small woman swept into the room letting the door bang behind her. Straightening tables as she made her way to the ice cream counter she talked nonstop.
"Daniel! These tables are a mess! What's burning?" She stopped in front of the stout woman and eyed the bagel with a triumphant smile.
"My, that bagel is a bit crispy isn't it?" she said. "Let me take care of that for you." With a smooth motion she swept the bagel from the startled woman's hand, dropped it into the trash, and slipped a fresh one into the toaster. "Is the soda machine stocked with ice? Who's the new kid?"
Jason stared transfixed as she leaned over the ice cream bin. Her hair was cut short and fanned out from her head like a bird with its feathers ruffled.
"Looks like we're low on Rocky Road and Pistachio." The toaster popped up. She caught the perfectly toasted bagel, placed it on a plate, and handed it to the customer. "There you go my dear. No charge. Sorry for the wait."
Hands on her hips, she turned to Jason who hadn't moved since she walked in the store.
"He's my cousin, Jason," Daniel said. "He's staying with us for the summer."
She looked Jason up and down. Then she held out a thin bony hand. There was a slight crinkle around her piercing blue eyes. "Pleased to meet you Jason," she said.
Her grip was like steel making him wince as she squeezed his hand. "First, the burnt bagels," she said marching past him. She called without looking back, "Coming?"
Daniel shrugged. With reluctance, Jason trudged after the small compact figure. After she showed him how to remove the burnt crumbs from the toaster, she proceeded to give him a tour of the small kitchen. In short choppy sentences she explained how everything worked. His brain was on overload and his head was spinning when he and Daniel left. He would never be able to remember anything she had told him.
"What did you think of the Hummer?" Daniel asked.
"What?" Jason said.
"Mrs. Edith Byrd. Dad started calling her the Hummer after she got her hair cut in that style. She never stops moving. Like a hummingbird. And," he said, "she's very territorial."
"Why didn't you warn me?" Jason said shaking his head.
He shrugged. "Mom said we were losing money before she came and whipped us into shape. Anyway, I think she likes you."
"Oh yeah, that's great," Jason said.
"Let's get our bikes and head to Haunted Cave. Come on or we'll be late."