Mr. I. B. Holder, born Ignatz Bertholemule Holder, Iggy, as his mother fondly called him, was for want of a better word, well let's just say it, not a handsome man. Indeed, Iggy often said, "I'm just an ugly duckling with a no swan future."
And yes, the face of Iggy was one, most did say only a mother could love. Iggy's father had one day gone for a pack of cigarettes and vanished in smoke. Iggy less often said, "The mirror image of his son, drove Dad to the other side of the mirror. Wherever that is?"
But Mrs. Holder loved him. The best Mom could do was only exceeded by the more she did for Iggy. "Thank you Lord, for a roof over our head and food to eat," twas familiar prayer at the Holder table. But a roof over the head and food to eat left little for a school kids wardrobe. Hand me downs and high water corduroy jeans became just one more excuse for classmates to clothe Iggy in the shame of ridicule. "Ugly Iggy," they dubbed him, "the king of icky."
The years passed by, and so had Mom. But Mom had lived long enough to see Iggy start a tire repair service in an old feed store. And as the town grew, so did Iggy's Tire Store from just repair to very successful sales also. It seemed things had turned around for Iggy, especially since right before him stood a tire buyer, a new comer to town, one with blond flowing hair and skin so fair. Molly she was and beautiful was her smile; for she liked the mild mannered and hard working man her 'eyes beheld.' Sure he was six inches shorter than her, and kinda scrawny, and especially sweaty with all that hard work and all; but there was something about those big ears and buck teeth and silly bashful grin that just rocked her world. Even at that very instant Molly fought the urge to hug him. It would seem that ugly duckling destiny had found swan future.
But lo, even alas, oh forsooth already, paradise interruptus: a years of yore school bully walked through the door. Four new tires he demanded, with yesterday his patience. But as clueless as the loud mouth was, even he picked up on the aroma of romance in Iggy's Tire Store. "Well my oh my," he laughed, "Do my eyes deceive me? Hot mama meets Ugly Iggy, the king of icky! Can you imagine that?"
Was it the disrespect to Molly? Was it the ridicule laughter? Was it the life time of abandonment? Was it the fact that this very bully was one in the same, who in school between each and every change of class room had wacked little Iggy's head with a textbook? What ever it was... a tire tool found home in the right hand of Iggy. And at high velocity that tire tool split air, halting only a fragment of an inch before the eye of the offensive beholder, who for a moment stood stiff, then stumbled backward, then fled out the door.
Molly tried to comfort a trembling Iggy. But he walked away into his office. Molly followed, but the door shut. Molly heard the lock click. Molly heard Iggy weep. And Molly knew...
The day was tomorrow. The day was Sunday. Iggy had found a pew. And in Jesus name as Iggy prayed forgiveness for himself, his vanished dad, even the bully; the preacher said, "King David sang to the LORD in Psalm 17:8 & 15 KJ, 'Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings... As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likeness." The preacher mused, "Who are righteous: but the forgiven, who forgive. How beautiful, the forgiven, are and shall be, in the eyes of The Great Beholder..."
And with eyes still closed in prayer, Mr. I. B. Holder, Ugly Iggy the king of icky, felt next to him the pew cushion stir neath the weight of a swan; felt a soft hand take his; felt fair blond hair caress his cheek; beheld to his ear the touch of whispering lips, "You are beautiful to me."
...The LORD provides for the apple of his eye...
Psalm 17:8, Psalm 84:3, Psalm 34:15 & Matthew 6:9-15
2 comments:
"I'm just an ugly duckling with a no swan future."
"the pew sink with the weight of a swan."
I like how you took this theme through and the lyrical feel of the writing. I can't even tell you which phrases give that lyrical feel, when I try to isolate them. I think it just flows well. This could be a good story to develop. I'm curious about the swan and her background, perhaps a bit about how he interacts with her with some dialogue, something that shows his character beyond his appearance. Not that you have to rewrite but just ideas to carry forward in your upcoming stories.
This is lovely and I especially like the last lines.
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