Billy's Bee Keeper's Net Hat

Worn low over Billy’s brow, the net hat’s wide brim drapes his neck and shoulders, coarse mesh stretched across a flexible metal frame. Strips of faded canvas trim the edges, stiff with old stains—beeswax, honey, and the earthy musk of hives. Goronwy adjusts the ties at the back, muttering about gaps where stings could slip through, as Billy shifts uncomfortably, more concerned with the living hive before him than the hat’s clumsy protection.