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The Visitor, My Beer in Hand

Not knowing, I walk into the room. Whoa, there's the big guy, sitting on my couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. Yeah, like I'm going to tell that ape to get his feet off my furniture.

“Arlon,” I say, “Hey, you're always welcome.”

He's a scary dude, and he's pretending he doesn't hear me, and need I say, that gets my attention. I try again.

“Want some chips with your beer?” I say that cos I notice he's drinking one of my brewskis. Mi casa es su casa, or whatever.

He looks over at me and says, “Hoss, you and me are going to have a contest,”.

Uh oh. Crap, I'm late with my money, and Mr. Murphy's put his muscle on my case. Hell, I can't catch a break.

“This isn't necessary,” I'm saying this as my knees start knocking. “I'll get you the money tomorrow morning. First thing.”

He smiles, and, baby, him wearing a smile is really and truly scary. He ponders something for a couple of seconds, then he says, “Sure you will, and next time you fall behind, you'll be a little harder to find. No, we're going to have a contest. You and me.”

“C'mon, we go back a long way together. We're friends, let's talk.”

“I'm listening.”

“Just came to me, I got an idea for a contest.”

“That's the spirit, lay it on me.” I can hear it in his voice, he's enjoying himself.

“Right, here goes. You sit there, finish your beer, and I run like hell.” With that, I turn and blast off. Except I run into the door and knock myself back on my ass. I'm sitting on the floor, seeing stars.

Arlon gets up and stretches. “That's not a contest, you're just playing a game. Here's my contest. Rules are simple. You make me laugh, I let you slide 'til Monday.... Now the good news, you've already made me laugh, so, next Monday, okay?... This wasn't painful, was it?”

I taste blood in my mouth. “Hard to say. Maybe I'll be able to feel my lip tomorrow morning.”

“What do I owe you for this beer?” he says.

“Mi casa es su casa,” I reply. My lip isn't going to wait until tomorrow.

“By the way, no one said anything to me about your past-due account. Sorry about your face, but you are a funny guy. I never know what to expect. Guess that's why I like dropping by.”

You have to love the bastard, you just couldn't be too obvious about it.

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Very good Wurdguy. Have you published this?? I'd like to keep on reading. thanks for posting.

Wurdguy, I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy your writing! This is super. :)

Cheers, Caredoe

Wurdy, I really like this. The dialogue is great and there is just the right amount of action. My only thought is the title. It's not catchy enought to grab a reader's attention, and it does not match the contents of the story.

You are a very gifted writer!!!

Sunny

Glad you ladies liked it. As I say, it's a sketch and nothing more than that.

The Arlon character is loosely based on a number of individuals I've met over the years. Kindhearted people who'd loan you money in a pinch, but who you'd absolutely want to repay even before Chase Manhattan.

Arlon has a peculiar, myopic code of ethics. "I'm a simple kind of guy. Life comes at me in black and white, I don't do technicolor. It's either right, or it's damn wrong." I think of that as an old-line Scotch-Irish ethos.

If any part of Arlon's saga is ever published, I'll let youse guys know.

How about "Brewskis and Lips on Ice" ? Good stuff here.

the writing reminds me Walter Mosley's (Robert? Sorry, senior moment here) character Easy Rawlins in Devil in a Blue Dress or one of his other works, one of the characters is very much like Arlon. I hope to see more of your work as I really laughed hard. It would be just my luck for something like that to happen to me!