Scary stories

Midlife crisis

He knew by the paunch.

He had always told himself that when there was a paunch around his waist - as there was now- that it'd be time to accept that he had, in fact, entered Midlife.

And Midlife meant that soon, a crisis was to accompany. Inevitable.

All his life, he had been so diligent about staying in shape. He ate healthy. He moisturized. He dressed well. Suits. Ties. Cole Haan.

His wife appreciated it and let him know, kissing him each night and saying "Love you, Handsome". His daughter's little girlfriends giggled nervously around him, like little Electras, and he'd act like he didn't notice.

The guys at work envied him, too - though they'd never admit it-for his handsomeness. For his build. For his presence. He was the suit and tie, the silver hair, you'd see and envy. A real good man. A real good man...with a paunch. And that extra fat, that extra skin, that paunch, worked wonders against his self-confidence. He felt ugly. He felt weak. And he hated feeling weak.

So he decided it was time to live his life. Live with a capital L Live. Live by doing whatever he wanted. Live like traveling. Live like enjoying a nice meal. Live like learning a new language. That was it. Throw worry to the wind and Live.

So every day, instead of going to lunch, he'd pop in the repetitive tape- he had decided on Thai- and soon he was confident in his abilities, speaking it around the house. His wife appreciated it and was impressed- "look at you!" she'd say, impressed. And his daughter's little girlfriends giggled nervously around him, hearing a towering silver-haired daddy of a man speak such a foreign tongue.

But he had to to do it.

Because when he got to Thailand, it'd make things so much easier.

Because when he got to Thailand, he could say "under 13" and they'd know what he meant.

Because when he got to Thailand, he could say, "I don't care how much" and they'd understand him.

Because when he got to Thailand, the little girl he purchased, wouldn't care about the paunch.

story by; MermaidTale4