Population Miniscule

Chapter 1: Kendon

Kendon leaned with his shoulder against the wall watching Catherine. His left arm crossed his torso and the fingers of his right hand curled around the handle of his coffee mug holding the warm liquid inches from his lips. Catherine was entering her last week before Summer break with a bunch of rowdy ninth graders. Then she would be heading out for a week-long writing conference as she had done every year since shegraduated from college.

Kendon doubted she would even say goodbye. She had been so busy and quiet lately. Oh well, at least he would have the house to himself with the exception of her lazy tomcat. He did what he could to avoid Turk. The tabby always vied for her time with his cheery meow as he maneuvered himself around her legs. Kendon resented the beast which Catherine had adopted without his consent about six months prior.

Catherine flicked off the coffee maker and left the kitchen. It was a good thing Kendon had his own stash and maker in his office. Her lunch was bagged neatly by the back door and he knew it would be last thing she would grab on her way out to work. Kendon turned and walked down the corridor with a sigh. A day at his desk would relieve the odd tension he felt about Catherine leaving next week.

It was going to take Kendon all day to clean off his desk if he wanted to get any work done. It was awash with papers and fat file folders. This was his work. He was a historian; a profession that had belonged to his family for years. He specialized in archiving documents from all over the world. A branch of his work also included researching the best ways to back up the documents for posterity. It was boring at times, but fulfilling and necessary. All in all, he enjoyed it.

At least he had something to pass along to his children. He hoped at least one of them would be interested in the job as his father and many grandfathers before had also hoped. Kendon had two teenage sons and a nine year old daughter. His sons already helped him sometimes in the afternoons after school to avoid chores assigned to them by their mother. Kendon knew chores were important, but so was the family business. It caused spats at times, but nothing too serious.