The Dynamic Duo

Flash Fiction

The Dynamic Duo

"Have we met before?" came the voice behind me as I sat on the park bench. I jumped.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you!” said the person standing there. “Are you alright?”

Still catching my breath, and still leery, I looked up at the man standing there. He was cute… I know! But how many good-looking guys do you find at our age… I’m into the seventies, and he seemed to fit the same bill.

“I’m fine,” I said in my, ‘I don’t know you, go away’ voice. I’ve been around enough to know strangers at the park can often be thieves. I had my pocketbook tucked in my arms. However, a thief would be very disappointed, all that was in it was tissues and bottled water. I keep my wallet safe in my jeans pocket.

He laughed a bit, then added, “Franklin, nineteen sixty-six the last time I saw you. You’re Anna, right?”

Absolutely flabbergasted, but still not ready to believe a total stranger, I said, “and you Mr. Know-it-all?”

“Lee Homes. You must remember me. Everyone called me Homely. I would bet everyone in school then knew me, because of the name…”

“Homely Homes,” I said, as the name and his face suddenly became familiar.

“Yes. And you are Anna Benton, aren’t you?”

“Anna Benson, though they called me Anna Banana…”

“Ah, yes. Anna Banana. I knew you looked familiar! I kind of envied you having a fun name while I had to be Homely…”

We both laughed.

“I just moved here to be nearer my daughter and family.”

“I live with my son and family! I have half of their “basement.”

“I’d love to talk to someone not thirty years younger than me sometimes, may I sit?” he asked.

And a dynamic duo was born.