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The fat and the skinny

fiction

By sissytishaPublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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At a railroad station on the Nikolaevsky railroad, two friends met, one fat, the other skinny. The fat man had just finished lunch at the station, his lips were still oily and shiny, like ripe cherries, and he smelled of white wine and fragrant orange blossoms. The skinny man had just gotten off the carriage, straining to carry boxes, parcels and cardboard boxes, smelling of ham and coffee grounds. Behind him, a lean woman with a long chin probes, his wife, and a tall high school student with one eye squinted, his son.

"Porfiry! " the fat man suddenly cried out after seeing the thin man, "is it really you? My dear friend! It's been a long time since I've seen you!

"Oh, my goodness! " The thin man was taken aback and also shouted, "Isn't that Mischa?! My childhood friend! Where did you come from?

The two friends immediately embraced, kissed three times, and then looked at each other with tears in their eyes. Both of them were surprised and happy!

"My dear friend! " began the thin man after the kiss, "it was a surprise! This is a surprise! Hey, take a good look at me! You are as handsome as ever! You're still as handsome as ever! My God, how are you doing now? Are you rich? Did you get married? As you can see, I've got a family... Look, it's my wife, Louisa, Wanzenbach... she's a Puritan... Oh, and this is my son, Nafanaïr, in his third year of high school. We were classmates in high school too!

Nafanaeel hesitated and took off his hat.

"We went to high school together! " the thin man continued, "You remember how everyone made fun of you back then, right? The students gave you the nickname 'Herostrat' (the ancient Greek who, in order to make a name for himself, set fire to the magnificent temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, in 356 B.C.), and that was because you took a cigarette and piggybacked a hole in one of the public books. People also gave me the nickname 'Evil Fiat' (an ancient Greek who led the way for the Polish army in the early 5th century B.C. and lured the enemy in) because I liked to snitch. Hahahaha... we were all just kids back then! Don't be shy, Nafania! Come on over here... Oh, this is my wife, Wanzenbach... a Puritan.

Nafanaïr hesitated for a moment and hid behind his father.

"By the way, my friend, how are you doing now? The fat man looked warmly at the thin man and asked, "Where do you work now? How many officers have you reached?

"My dear friend, I am still working. I've been a civil officer of the eighth rank for two years now, and I've been awarded the Order of St. Stanislav. But the salary is too small... Oh, fuck him! My wife is now teaching music lessons, and I make cigarette cases out of wood in my spare time. They're great boxes! I sell them for a ruble a piece. If someone buys ten or more at once, I'll give him a discount. Anyway, just get by. As you know, I used to be a section officer in a department, and now I'm here as a section chief, still in the same department... and will continue to work here. By the way, what about you, how are you now? I'm afraid you've made it to the fifth grade, right? Hmm?

"More than that, I'd say higher", said the fat man, "I've been promoted to third class... I've got two star badges".

For a moment, the thin man's face was pale and dazed, but soon the flesh on his face twisted in all directions and he immediately broke out into a rather gleeful smile, as if his face and eyes were shooting sparks. He shrugged his shoulders, bent down, and shrank halfway... and the boxes, parcels, and cardboard boxes in his hands seemed to shrink halfway with him... his wife's long chin was drawn up longer; and Nafanaïr stood erect with his hands hanging down, and fastened all the buttons of his coat...

"My lord, I... am so happy! You and I were childhood friends, and you have become a great man at once! Hehehe!

"Oh, that's enough! " the fat man frowned, "Why do you have to talk in such an accent? You and I were friends when we were children, no need to engage in the official flattery ah!

"How can you say that, my lord..." the thin man laughed, shrinking even smaller, "your kindness, my lord... has been a blessing to me... my lord, this is my son, Nafanaïr... and this is my wife, Louisa, a Puritan, in a sense... ⋯⋯...

The fat man wanted to say something in return, but the look of respectful flattery and lowliness on the thin man's face made the third-class clerk sick. The fat man then turned his face away and waved goodbye to the thin man.

The thin man shook the fat man's three fingers, his whole body bent down, like the Chinese he smiled with him. His wife was also smiling along with him. Nafanaeel leaned his two feet together in salute, and his manufacturing cap fell to the ground. The family felt surprised and happy.

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