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Show 11, Jeffries, Islamorada [Section 2] "Of course it's the season," his principal offered, "but I've located a place for you near the beach, and the landlady won't ask an arm and a leg for it, either." "I won't pay an arm and a leg." When the landlady forced the door they saw that the room had stood closed too long. Lianas, the woody climbing plants, had worked their way into the unit. "The sum," she said, "would be the deposit plus your first and last months' rent." The tangy sea air of low tide washed in through the slanted wooden shutters, the old conch jalousies, blowing off a staleness. "Transient?" she asked. The Florida service-oriented economy, he thought. Always somebody changing your motel sheets, or wants to sell you a boat. "Jesus! What--? Should I kill it or what--?" "Oh him. The creature. Naw it's Geeko, the house lizard. Naw, you want him here, believe me." Florida salesmanship again? The small saurian ran to scour a web for bugs. "A schoolteacher. Fine. Well a young man who didn't mind a bit of work, some cleaning, could save a nice piece of change here over the season. Now mind it ain't Howard Johnson's. . ." |
