Saturday morning, 6am. Kathleen shuffled into the kitchen, scowling at the unexpected light. Saturday was Connors' day off so there was normally no-one there before her when she emerged. Today there was, Justin sat on the end of the table, a big bowl of cereal in his hand, and grinning widely.
"Good Morning, Good Morning, Good Morning Grandmother!" he enthused.
Kathleen grunted and went to get the coffee out.
"Coffee's already made, Gran. Bubbling away there, waiting for you."
"Thanks," she said. She poured her first cup for the day and poured it down her throat. She walked around, flicking on switches - water heater, deep frier and others - then poured a second cup of coffee and sat down, with an ash tray, at the table. She lit a cigarette, drew on it deeply, and sipped on the coffee. "Don't sit on the table, Justin. Food goes on the table, backsides go on chairs."
He sat down and faced her, still grinning. "My backside's clean, Gran. All freshly washed and wrapped in clean clothes."
"Maybe it is. But don't sit on the table. What's with this 'Gran' business? That's Jonathan's name for me, not yours. What are you doing up and horribly cheerful so early in the morning? You're worse than Connors."
"Come on Gran.....mother. It's a lovely day. I couldn't sleep, Jonathan's still snoring away, so I thought I'd come and help you with the breakfasts."
"Oh, no you won't. Justin, my love, you have many talents, but cooking is not one of them. We're not serving our guests with runny eggs and burnt bacon."
"I'm not that bad. I just need the practice. You can show me, Grandmother. I'll be helping you."
"You are that bad. You can get Connors to teach you, she's the chirpy one in the mornings, not me. You can help me best by going away. Go back to bed or something."
"I can't go back to bed. I'm wide awake now, Jonathan would kill me."
"Go and get in the other bed then."
"By myself? Not likely."
"Aren't you going to that Billy boy's house today?"
"Yes! Jonathan's driving me out to Billyboy's, but not until 9 o'clock. That's hours away, I've got nearly 3 hours to kill."
"Well, go and kill them somewhere else, Boy. I need some peace and quiet in the morning. Go for a walk - get rid of some of that energy. Your breakfast will be ready at 7.30 as usual."
"Okay, I'll go for a walk then, but not the Square, there'll be no-one there yet. I'll go and do some window shopping. See you later Gran...mother."
Down the quiet early morning street, Justin was standing looking at the glittering display in the jeweller's window. A car did a U-turn and pulled up behind him. "Hello, Hello, Hello. What's going on here then?"
He turned and grinned at the policeman. "Good morning Paul. I'm just casing the joint - figuring out which stuff to grab when I smash the window."
Paul Jamieson smiled back at him. "As if you would. Anyway, all the best stuff will be locked away out the back. There's nothing of great value in the window - except for your reflection of course."
"Oh, aren't you nice? I bet you charm all the ladies; all the old ones anyway. What are you doing out so early in the morning?"
"It's my job. Someone's got to keep an eye on all you villains. And, not so much of the 'Old' ladies, you cheeky little bugger. I'm not that old."
"Sure you are, Paul. But you're pretty well preserved, for an old fella."
"Well thank you, sir. I think. Well, see you around, Justin. Be good."
"I'm always good, when the cops are watching anyway. See you, Paul."
As Paul drove away, the visiting cop beside him said, "No respect at all. Do you think you should let kids talk to you like that, Paul?"
"No respect? Don't you know who that was? Justin - Superboy- Reynolds, that's who. He can talk to me any way he likes. He's just being friendly anyway."
Back at the hotel, Justin went up to their room and woke his brother up. "C'mon, Jonathan. Rise and shine - it's morning."
He glanced at the clock/radio, then pulled the covers up over his head. "Fuck off Justin. It's too early. It's Saturday already. "
"Yes it's Saturday, and you're taking me out to Billy's place. C'mon Jonathan, you promised. Wake up, already."
He leant over to shake him, but Jonathan grabbed him through the duvet and they rolled, wrestling, across the bed and fell out on the floor, laughing. Justin lay on top of the wrinkled duvet between them. He pressed his face forward and rolled their foreheads together.
"All Right! All Right! I'm up - well I'm out anyway. Get off me, I've got to get a shower."
"Yeah, you do. 'Methinks he stinketh.' Hurry up though. I'll go and get your breakfast."
"You will not! Gran gets my breakfast. I'm not eating your efforts again. It's still too bloody early, Justin. We don't have to be there until half past 9."
"It's not too early. I don't want to be late. C'mon, Slowpoke."
All through breakfast, Justin was anxiously trying to hurry his brother along. He ran back upstairs twice to change his shirt(s). Finally he bounced excitedly into the car and buckled up. But, he squawked when Jonathan turned into the main street and stared driving west, not east.
"Hey. What are you doing? This is not the way out of town. You're going the wrong way."
"Settle down Bro - Brother. I know the way out of town. We're just going to pick up a girl first. I want some company on the way home."
"But Claudette doesn't live down here. She's up at the top of King Street isn't she?"
"Who said anything about Claudette. We're going out to North Beach to pick up Lana Shaw."
"Lana Shaw? What happened to Claudette then?"
"Nothing happened to Claudette. I'm just taking Lana. We're not married you know."
"I do know that. I thought you were a couple though?"
"Sometimes. Today I'll be a couple with Lana."
"Lana Shaw eh? Isn't that a bit incestuous, Jonathan Shaw?"
"Don't be a jerk. I'm not really a Shaw - I'm a Reynolds really."
"Why don't you change your name then?"
"I might. I'm thinking about it. I don't want to upset the Shaws though, I owe them something for raising me."
Lana was waiting outside by the letterbox. She got into the front seat when Justin scrambled over into the back. "Hey Jonathan. Hey Justin. I could've sat in the back."
Justin replied, "Hey, Lana. You sit in the front - women and children first."
Jonathan snorted, "What do you mean, children? I'm older than you are, boy."
"Yeah, all of ten minutes or something."
"Still makes me the oldest - Child. How's it going, Lana? You know my brother then?"
"Your brother? Justin Reynolds? Superboy? No, I've never heard of him."
"Well you're the only one who hasn't then." He turned the car around and, (Finally!), headed out of town.
All the way out of town and across the wide bridge, Justin was jigging around excitedly in the back seat. Jonathan glanced at him in the rear view mirror. "Settle down there in the back seat! Honestly, Justin, you're like a little kid on his first date."
"Well I am aren't I? I'm a kid and this is my first date. I think. I hope. We'll never know 'til we get there will we? Can't you go any faster, Old Boy?"
"No, I can't. There's no point in being early - he might not even be there and we'll miss the turn-off. We could finish up in Nelson."
"Oh. Right. I hadn't thought of that. Slow down then, what's the big hurry?"
"What's the big hurry? You're the one who's been trying to hurry me ever since you threw me out of bed this morning. Just relax Justin, we'll get there."
"We'll get there. We'll get there. Hurry up, Jonathan. No. Slow down, Jonathan."
"Shut up, Justin."
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