Travis: Problem Solver

“Well I was just saying if you know anybody looking for a place to live, it’s available.” Travis was talking to Jimmy about Toni’s house.

“Damn Travis I don’t know anybody that can afford a place like that.”

“You might be surprised, for the right tenant we can cut a deal.”

“You and your deals, I reckon we can start puttin’ feed back in the basin again, grass is comin’ up in there now after the burn.”

“Yeah that was one deal that went sour real quick, I was just desperate after the flood to get some feed in here for the stock.”

Jimmy knew he could talk to Travis about most anything. Travis didn’t lord over his people he was one of them, “You know I gotta girl, Nell Walker?”

“Yeah, what about her?” Travis lit a cigarette and leaned over the fence.

“Well she works nights at Andy’s and don’t get off till 9:00 most nights, she can sleep in but I gotta be here and ready to go when the sun comes up.”

“You short of shagging time Kelp?” Travis grinned around his ciggie.

Jimmy chuckled, “No I get that done it’s the sleepin’ time I’m short of so I was wonderin’ if there’d be a day I could at least get here around 10:00, maybe a Friday or somethin’ not much goes on on Friday mornin’.”

“Friday is payday.”

“Well yeah but not till after noontime. I can get in the hand’s time the night before. Jock can direct for me.”

“Well I can do that it’s just that it eats into my comfort zone, when you’re here I don’t worry about shit.”

“You worry all night Travis, I ain’t here most nights.”

“Yeah I know and that’s not the deal we had. I don’t give a shit as long as everything is going like it should be, it only takes one time ya know, fence goes down and the whole herd is out probably over at Meridius’s place tramping out his wheat fields.”

“Well I reckon I’m fucked then.”

“Ya know I don’t care if you bring her out here mate, move her in you got the room. Ya might have to muck it out.”

“She’s got this place in Coffs, little apartment I don’t know if she’d wanna move out here but I’ll ask her. I never thought of that. You’re right about muckin’ it out.” Jimmy had a nice little farmouse with two bedrooms on the property. “Be closer to her work too.”

“Anything more problems you want solved today?”

Jimmy grinned, “this one ain’t in the bag yet.”