A Cottage in the Country

A Little Bit of Fiction....

Leroy Brown knew that he was capable of doing far better than just working in a five-dollar car wash. ‘If it is the last thing I do, I am going back to night-school and get a diploma. I am going to make something of myself. Meanwhile, here we go again. Wax on.......Wax off. Wax on.......Wax off.......wipe, and wipe.....shine and shine’.

Such blues never stayed long with young Leroy for more than five or ten minutes and very soon he was singing again.

He had quite a good voice but his choice of music usually let him down. ‘Ole man river, dat ole man river, he don't say nuttin, he sure..’.

He was cut off mid bar by a fat red-faced little white man, more red than white, so much so that Leroy thought that he could easily be a Red Indian or as he had been told off often enough by his mother, a Native American.

'And I was having such a good day’ he said to himself as he approached the man. ‘Boy, where's the Lincoln. Ain't she done yet?’ he shouted. ‘Yes boss’ Leroy replied.  His mother’s same wisdom had taught him to be subservient to all sorts of ignorant people. If it meant a five-dollar tip, he was not above grovelling.

As he had said only yesterday to his young wife Barbara, 'I ate garbage and crap all day yesterday and I ate more garbage and crap today. But I have an extra sixty-five dollars in my pocket, so I will eat garbage and crap again tomorrow. I hated it and loved it at the same time. But only until I have saved enough money to go to night-school’.

As one of the drivers brought the Lincoln around to the front, Leroy noticed that the little fat man was even redder than before and was leaning against a pillar. He went over and said, ‘Dat be five dollar sur’ laying on the thick southern false accent.

The man took out his wallet and without looking, tore off a fifty-dollar bill and said, ‘Keep the change kid, nice job’.

Leroy had been taught by his old grandfather that you should ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth’ so he didn't. He merely put the fifty in his pocket, took out a five and handed it to the cashier. He was happy with the result but a little worried for the fat man. He turned to the driver who had brought the car around and quietly said ‘I think he should go check himself out with his physician to make sure everything is fine before things start falling off - I can see it in the man's face’.

Not long afterwards, his young wife Barbara stuck her head around the corner and called ‘Leroy, you eaten yet?’ ‘No, not yet precious, but I got some great news’ he answered. She merely waved a finger at him and scolded him by saying ‘Please don’t say anything important 'till I come back’.

Fifteen minutes later they were sitting on a bench in the park opposite the car wash. They talked very little as they ate their sandwiches and drank their cokes.

Suddenly, Leroy stopped mid bite. ‘Lord, oh Lord’ he exclaimed. ‘What is it Leroy? You look like you've seen a ghost’. ‘I think I have,’ he said, still with the sandwich half way to his mouth. He nodded towards a little fat white man with a red face who was talking to a much younger man who looked slightly familiar.

  

The younger man was heard by both of them to say, "Ooh, a cottage! How charming" and pointed to a gents toilet partially protected by some trees. Both of the men walked hand-in-hand towards it and went inside.

Leroy could have sworn that the younger man was none other than George Michael but records will show that he was at least fifteen hundred miles away at the time performing on stage.

However, Leroy and Barbara still talk to this day about how much the little white red-faced man must have spent in fifties that afternoon........or was it how much he had actually earned………

----------Mike----------