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Dale doesn’t need ice

“Ice?”
“Huh?”
“Ice!”

Dale looked up from his beer. Why the hell would he want ice?

“Outside. Look. Ice.”

The stool screeched from under him as Dale stood up.
“But… How? It was 80° an hour ago.”

“They’ll be telling us it’s god damn climate change,” snarled the old-timer, cemented at the bar, the peak of his dirty, red cap unable to hide his disdain.

“I mean… this isn’t… normal,” Dale protested.

“Weather is weather. It’s always been. It always will. Up is up. Men and women marry. Girls wear dresses. It’s how it is.

“One word,” Dale said, “Change.”


Hey, Listen



Written as part of Friday Fictioneers, hosted as ever by the lovely Rochelle. The photo prompt is provided by Dale Rogerson. Read their words and the writing of others here!

Responses to “Dale doesn’t need ice”

  1. Sandra

    I guess the red cap was significant. :) According to recent reports the ‘world will end in ice’ are going to beat the ‘in fire’ brigade. Who knows? I remember when we were told diesel was best ….

    1. MrBinks

      I couldn’t possibly comment. ; )

  2. Dale

    Pffft! What change? It’s all a rumour! He musta had too many beers and is seeing things…

    1. MrBinks

      ha!

      1. Dale

        Course, if Dale had been a woman, a whole different discussion 😏

  3. neilmacdon

    Fat chance! His whole life is a resistance to things changing.

    1. MrBinks

      Certainly seems that way.

  4. rochellewisoff

    Dear Mr. B,

    Hasn’t he heard? There’s no such thing as climate change. At least that’s what some say. 😉 Good one. Love your reading.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    1. MrBinks

      Thanks so much 🙂

  5. Iain Kelly

    Who knows what to believe anymore. No wonder there is confusion.

  6. Liz Young

    Ice? That quickly? No, I don’t believe it either. Just hold my hand in case I slip and break a leg.

  7. Liam

    The old timer is a moment from declaring the ice is a government plot

  8. Margaret

    That ‘one word’ carries a lot more weight than it used to. Hmm. That’s also a change. Great character building in this. That old timer reminds me of one or two old timers of my acquaintance. And I fear neither your fictional one nor my real ones will ever ‘change’, as they need to, sadly.

  9. James McEwan

    Cemented at the bar, I seen a lot of those soothsayers who know where there next beer is coming from.

  10. Michael Humphris

    change, perhaps, but I liked listening

  11. The Sicilian Storyteller

    I think’s he’s subscribed to the conspiracy theory.

  12. msjadeli

    Eerily accurate in perspectives, which are as polar as the weather in the story. I see you can speak ‘murican when you want to. The screech of the stool and the dirty red cap are nice touches.

    1. MrBinks

      I’ve watched the movies 😉

  13. GHLearner

    And another comment vanished… second try: Red cap says it all. Nonono, there never was change in the past, we don’t need no change, he said and grabbed his smartphone.

  14. Dawn M. Miller

    I like how you made your point here.

  15. thisobscurelife

    some people refuse to see or allow change, they need the security of walls. Change happens anyhow, for better or worse. Nice storytelling loved the audio.

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