In the past I have written stories about Ludlow the yellow rubber ducky who wants to change color. I have also written about Brick Strong a typical CPA patterned after a friend. Every once in a while, for no apparent good reason someone wants to know what has happened to them. Since I am obliging to the extreme, please read below.
Brick Strong’s massive 6’5” body was tense. So was his head and all his thoughts. No, it was not because his world wrestling championship was in danger. His reign under his non de plume of Brutus Beefcake was still strong. His main career as the world’s premier CPA was equally vibrant. He had recently completed an audit of the Supreme Game Company which had ended with the indictment of the CEO and four of the company’s board members. Stew Mayburn and his cohorts had used inferior materials in the marbles in all their games and had siphoned off the increased profits. They were truly a nasty bunch, and Brick was glad he had stopped their dastardly business!
Brick’s problem was a 118-pound lady named Judy Goodbody. He and Judy had been an item for many years which was apparently the problem. Judy had informed him in no uncertain terms that she was tired of waiting for him to pop the question. She advised him that he should avoid showing his massive frame around her door anymore. She went on to say that she would be at his next wrestling title match, but was going to sit on the side of his opponent, The Raging Raccoon. Brick was stunned! He knew he could wipe the floor with the Raccoon, but how to win back Judy was his problem’
What Judy did not realize that for all of Brick’s prowess, he had been afraid to pop the question. He would break out in a cold sweat at the very thought. Now he realized that he had to do something. It would not be easy as Judy would not answer his phone calls. She gave the flowers he sent back to the messenger and told him to give them to his girlfriend – which he did. Obviously, Brick was going to have to find a different approach, but he wasn’t certain what. Then it hit him, some years ago, Judy and he had been on a cruise (with his uncle and her aunt as chaperones) and they found a yellow rubber ducky on the beach. Judy immediately fell in love with it. However, Brick had overheard a tearful conversation on the ship involving a little blonde girl who had lost her yellow rubber ducky that she had named Ludlow.
Judy, upon hearing the story agreed that Ludlow should be returned to the little blonde girl. Brick had returned Ludlow to the little girl who was very happy. She remembered Brick and would send him notes from Ludlow every so often. Once she even told him that he looked a lot like Brutus Beefcake on the wrestling shows her Dad watched. Brick decided to contact the little blonde girl. He did, but she was not so little anymore, and was in fact a grown-up lady who had married a City Manager and was known as The Blonde in the house. He explained his dilemma, and was assured that he could give Ludlow to Judy if he wanted. The Blonde explained that she really had not played with Ludlow for some time, and he would probably be happy with a new mistress. (Ludlow was happy too as it might give him another chance to become green or red – even though everyone said, “rubber duckies are supposed to be yellow and you need to get used to it! Ludlow never did.)
Brick knew he would have trouble if he tried to present Ludlow directly to Judy, but her best friend was married to his best friend. Therefore, he got her to carry Ludlow to Judy. It worked, and Judy happily agreed to become Mrs. Strong. They set a wedding date two months down the road. Regrettably, that turned out to be right in the middle of the pandemic, and there was no place they could get married.
Poor Brick!
Columnist Barry Evans writes about “Life in The Villages.”
