The Night Watchman

John enters his all too familiar security booth and follows his usual routine; punch in, adjust the portable television, lean back in the chair, take a deep breath and prepare himself for another night as the night watchman of the Hartville Medical Centre. With no wife or family, he directs most of his passion and energy into his job. After all he is the night watchman! He has a great responsibility and without him the medical research centre is defenseless…well at least that’s what he tells himself. He knows it take s a certain type of person to be a night watchman. He is a proud person and is not fazed by the loneliness that comes with the job. Being once married he knows what its like to have company, but for someone that prefers his own company to anything else, he knew married life wasn’t for him.

Now single, John knows that his job isn’t the most desirable career but he is satisfied with knowing he is making an honest living. Getting on in his life and heading towards his fifties he gets pleasure from the small things in life like finishing the Sudoku puzzle in the paper or watching his footy team finish on top for the round. He has a peculiar yet ironic contentment with the night and everything that comes with it. He likes the quietness and stillness of the night and likes the fact that his job allows him to witness how darkness can create a surreal ambiance that most people do not get to experience as they are asleep. He likes that at night, there is more than what meets the eye and appreciates the mystery that night brings to just a simple street or landscape. John enjoys the illusions that moving shadows and faint sounds can create that are made that much more mysterious because they are under the cover of darkness. He walks to work and particularly enjoys the walk home as his shift ends just before the sunrise which lets john enjoy the serenity of the walk home and the last hours of darkness before the sun comes up and traffic fills the roads.

John considers himself to be a friendly person when he interacts with people but prefers to be left alone. He avoids conflict and wont go out of his way to go talk to someone, not because he an unpleasant person but because John does not feel the need for human interaction as most people do. John is more than happy with the mystery of the night to be his only company for now…