I love this time of the month of my marathons. Right in the middle is where things cruise, and a lot of stuff is getting loosened up. It’s wild where stories come from. Random memories, and snippets of anecdotes. I like it. Thanks for your interest in Flash August Fiction. If you have not seen it, I really like yesterday’s story called The Torrent. I strongly suggest it. You want to know what’s wild? Where I am, last night, there was a major storm. What if I manifested it, or maybe I merely sensed subconsciously that it was coming. Pretty cool, regardless.
Here is today’s story, called Hovering
Plinio had finished his little hedge clipping and window washing business for the day. He made a cool $75 doing these little weekly chores in some neighborhoods near his. Now he was going door-to-door, seeing if he could add to his client list.
He walked down some new streets, places he’s never seen. Although they were close to a couple of his other regular stops, it was just like a brand-new opportunity for him. These were smaller houses than the ones where he usually worked, but in some ways they seemed more opulent, and they had more yard space. He saw a man washing his car, and having a cigar.
The man asked him what he was doing, and Plinio explained that he was exploring new streets to see if he could find more yard work and increase his income. The man liked that answer, and apprised Plinio that just down the street, a widow, who the neighbors had been helping out, is about ready to get back on her own feet again. He told him he should definitely stop by there, but to not mention that he knew she was a widow, because that would be bad social form.
Plinio was glad to know this information, and thanked the man, and he asked him if he needed any help with his car. The man told Plinio that washing the car was a project he enjoyed, and it kept him busy, and gave him an opportunity to enjoy a cigar, but, he thanked him for asking.
Plinio kept going door-to-door, speaking with whomever he could, and leaving his business card, otherwise. He was mindful of the house where the widow lived. Finally, after traversing the circuitous suburban street, he was at the house of the widow.
When she answered the door, Plinio let her know about his skill set, and that he was available for doing hedges, windows, and other odd jobs. He complimented her on her nice house in the lovely neighborhood.
She thought for a moment, and informed him that there was some business in the garage that needed some attention. She instructed him to meet her in the backyard, near the garage. Plinio was glad to oblige, he had time to kill, and he enjoyed this pleasant neighborhood.
The nice widow asked Plinio to open the garage door, which he did. She asked if he would like to clean and organize it for her. She told him it was mostly her husband’s things, and she wanted to get it sorted out so she could decide what should stay with the house and what should be sold, or given away. Plinio was happy to do that, and he began, posthaste.
The widow set herself out a lawn chair, so she could see what was what in the garage as Plinio worked. It was a simple process really, and then Plinio uncovered something very odd, and unique, and puzzling.
As he was removing items from a shelf and laying them out for the widow to make her determinations, he came upon a wooden box. The box was hovering.
“What is this?” Plinio asked excitedly, “I’ve never seen anything just float like this, what is this, ma’am?”
The woman got up from her chair quickly and said, “There it is.” She came over to Plinio, handed him two crisp hundred dollar bills, took the box from him, and asked him if she was going to have to worry about him making a big deal out of this. Plinio explained that he didn’t see why it would be necessary for him to do, or say anything, and that probably, no one would believe such a weird story anyway.
“But, can you tell me what it is?” He asked her.
She told him not to worry about it. She said he could come back the following weekend to complete the work in the garage, and that he should leave for now, and perhaps in the future she could explain it to him. He agreed to those terms.
Plinio was befuddled by the whole thing, even though he was glad to have $200 for doing practically nothing. He continued his marketing efforts in the neighborhood, and on his way home he stopped at every house that he could that he hadn’t approached up to that point.
The End
723 Words
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