Frowzy Drowzy and Fuddle Muddle

Written in response to: Write a story inspired by the phrase “I’ll eat my hat.”... view prompt

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Adventure Kids Suspense

When you look good you feel good?

Assumptive assumptions assume a lot. Down to the wire.

That was a close call and please clean the potatoes out of your ears.


Is anyone listening or hearing? Yes. And. No.


With a certain degree of certainty one can assume assumption assumptions about another.


And be completely wrong, incorrect, off base.


Fuddle Muddle was downcast. He was tired, hungry and thirsty. Zero energy to lift himself up to take a drink. To get a drink. To handle a drink.


Along comes Frowzy Drowzy and asks, “Why are you so disheveled?


Fuddle Muddle replied, “It is my middle name. I live by my name. I dress by my name.” What is your reason?


Frowzy Drowzy was not much better. It was no accident that Frowzy looked, well, disheveled as well. He turned and asked Fuddle if he minded if he took a seat on the ground next to him.


Fuddle shrugged his shoulders as if to reply, “Yes”. They sat in silence for a time. Fuddle spoke up first. He asked if Frowzy came a round this area often.


”You live around here?” My home is just up the road that way.”


Frowzy replied, “No”. I have been on the streets for days but do not know where I came from or where I am going.”


”Oh.” Replied Fuddle.


”Walking and stopping, walking and stopping. Seems as if I have been going in circles.” Said Frowzy. Bleakness as my guide. Wondering what is out there that is so much different.”


”Oh”. replied Fuddle.


“Haven’t found the time to “spiffy” myself up.” Pondered Frowzy. The funny thing is I do not know what I look like.” I think I would be ok with being a dapper lad, just don’t have the get up and go to get up and go it.”


”Oh”. Replied Fuddle.


”See that big, giant picture up there? Asked Frowzy.


”Yes” replied Fuddle.


They both looked upwards to a large bill board across the street of a man and a woman look quite brilliant and clean and happy in the moment. A snapshot in time, a snapshot of what looked to be unabated happiness.


Frowzy continued,” Do you think they are happy, as happy as they look in the picture?”


”I dunno” replied Fuddle.


”Well, since you asked,” said Frowzy.


”I didn’t.” Replied Fuddle.


Frowzy continued without seeming to have heard Fuddle.To offer an assuming opinion about the two giant caricatures staring back at their supposedly pathetic selves sitting there on the ground.


Fuddle didn’t seem to mind, to reject the interaction. It was almost as if no one had ever asked him what he thought before. About anything.


Frowzy smiled and said. “ I wonder if it takes a lot of work to look like that.” Did God over bless them? Did they have the best of the best? Fight against the worst of the worst. Does happiness shine outward because inwardly one is content”?


”I dunno”. replied Fuddle.


There was a bit of silence. The winds blew outside. Dust was passing their faces and becoming stuck in their hair, in their clothes. Leaving a thin film of dirt.


A life on the streets is a lonely life. Filled with the friends you see daily as you move from here to there. There to here. It is a life of the weary. The downtrodden. The ones who have given up a hope. Even know there is much there.


Streetwise and street smart comes with the daily territory. You are blessed if someone you know or don’t know advises you about a bit of help up the road, which could actually be a five full miles. You decide you have nowhere to go and all day to get there. So set out.


It really only takes a minute for someone to offer a talk that someone will listen to.


Frowzy continued. “There is a place up the road (five or so miles actually). Would you like to walk with me? if we set out now, we could be there by dusk.


”I’m tired”. Replied Fuddle.


”Well, we can stop along the way. Take breaks, stops and rest.” Frowzy encouraged.


”O.k.” Replied Fuddle.


So up they stood. Bid farewell to their billboard hottie and hunk and ventured onward.


It was late spring and the weather was not so tempestuous so as to cause them to drag their feet. They did not even know what day it was. The clothes on their back had seen better days. On this particular day, it is not known how their paths crossed. But the good news is they did and they were walking. Together. To a destination unknown.


Frowzy asked, “You doing ok?” as they walked and walked uncertain of how long they had been walking.


”Yeah”. Replied Fuddle.


They found themselves among a beautiful area of trees and wild flowers. With a nod and a gesture, they decided to take a break and sit down.


”Cannot fall asleep now”, said Frowzy. We have a bit more walking to do before it gets dark. And if we are too late the doors will lock us out for the night.


”I’m ready”, replied Fuddle.


Up they stood and began walking again. Not much was spoken. Not much really to be said. They absorbed one another’s person and knew right off the bat, they were one in the same. Made no difference to the other how they got here, or there. The peace of walking was all they needed to get from where they were to where they were going.


The sun began setting, but there was still daylight to guide them on.


“”Tis not much longer”, encouraged Frowzy.


”O.k.” Replied Fuddle.


Up the road, in the distance was a beautiful and majestic building. Welcoming beyond words. The last few yards began to take their toll, yet, they both silently knew they would be off the streets, at least for a night, with a different outlook to guide them the next day.


The unspoken friendship they had formed on their silent walk was more than enough to solidify their trust in one another. They entered the doors of the majestic building. Frowzy led the way to a room in the back.


Inside there were places to lay one’s head. Soup on the other side. No questions asked.









April 18, 2023 19:59

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