He reminds me of a startled rabbit, busily back and forth, always moving, always giving off an air of natural nervousness; one that seems to sit quite comfortable with him. I know he wouldn't have a clue that I find him so intriguing. I'd say he's somewhere in his forties, and I wonder about him as a school kid. I consider the unlikelihood of him being diagnosed with an "attention" disorder; or maybe he was, and it's the drugs that have made him so interestingly hyperactive.

He works alone at the Servo down the road on the afternoon shift. I imagine the solo nature of the job suits him fine, and that his employers would love him. He is endlessly moving about, polishing this, wiping that, sweeping here and there. He will, without fail, always tell me the exact amount of money I have given him, the price of the items I am purchasing, and the change that I am due. "Let's see, you gave me twenty dollars, the chocolate was three fifty, which means I give you sixteen fifty back." Every time, without fail, just like that; only the figures vary. He's on the ball I tell you, maybe a little too much though.

Tonight when I arrive, the automatic doors open and I see him breezing past me. In one sudden motion he jerks back, sticks a leg out to adjust the door mat - not perfectly mind you - and continues on his busy way. Everything is normal, I think to myself with an entertained smile. I walk in the opposite direction towards the counter where the two teenage girls from the earlier shift are about to finish their day. My hyper friend has managed to find his way back there, perhaps forgetting something, perhaps being too far ahead of himself - now I know why he works on his own - and rushes past a shelf of packaged condoms, knocking one of them to the floor. He turns, picks up the packet, and replaces it just as one of the girls comes walking out of the office nearby. She smiles at him and says, "need to buy some do ya?"

"Yeah, yeah," he responds with a kind of nervous, laughing grunt. Then he looks at the girls with cheek in his face and says, "I'm just going to have some fun." And then he is gone; for the time being that is.