A REAL GOOD JOB

Up at Cody's camp I spent my days, oh,
With flat car riders and cross-tie walkers
Old Cody, Junior took me over
Said, "You're gonna find the world is smould'ring.
And if you get lost come on home to Green River

Mac Frye’s Repairs was more of a big shed than a shop but it was a roof that kept the rain and weather off while he worked on whatever it was folks needed fixing. Today it was a rundown little CAT 790 log loader. It’d been kept up real nice in the past but the guys running her now just didn’t know jack about maintenance, cleaning her out or giving the moving parts a good once over with a rag and a can of lube. Now there was some fiddly little problem with the transmission. He’d tried everything he could think of but as soon as he adjusted one thing, another went wrong. He growled with frustration, wishing his daughter were here. She’d have the thing up and running in no time. She knew machines, his little girl.

“Daddy?” Speak o’ the devil.

“What is it Kaylee?” He banged his head on the open hood as he straightened.

Kaywinnit smiled her big sunshiny smile and moved over to peer into the hovercraft. She grabbed a hydrospanner and adjusted a timing belt, then tightened a coolant line. “That should do ya.”

Mac went around and revved the engine. It purred with happiness, settling into a contented idle.

“That’s my Kay.” He shot his daughter a grin and shut it down. “So what ya need girl? That skinny little creepy kid been givin’ ya the eye again?”

“Nuthin’ like that, daddy.” She twisted her fingers together nervously. “There’s a man wants ta give me a job, a real good job.”

Mac swept his youngest daughter up in a bear hug, swinging her around. “That’s great Sunshine! Where ya gonna be workin’? It ain’t over at Al’s shop is it? Dunno if I can stand my little girl workin’ fer the competition.”

“No daddy, I ain’t workin’ fer Al. Ya know that little Firefly landed on the other side of camp?”

“’Course I do. Been there near a week now.” He