Not Another Pet

I reckon we have run out of things to talk about down at the barbershop. This morning the big subject was ringworms. Cletus McBird came in sporting a big red circle on his left cheek, the one on his face. We hadn't seen him in months and that thing had sprung up since then. Suggestions pored out from the crowd there. Somebody suggested he find a good germologist. One fellow warned him that if his foot was itching at the same time his face was itching he should scratch his face first and then take care of his foot. Several recommended the same cream that is used on jockey itch. I checked in the library and that seems to be right. The thing may have been caused by one of the cats they have around the McBird house. Cletus' wife is real big on taking in any stray; cat or dog, it don't matter. Cletus said he was funning around with his wife when she got onto him about getting rid of that thing. He told her she should just consider it another pet, one that didn't need feeding or letting out in the middle of the night. He said she didn't buy that, she told him he should consider the guest bedroom his home until he figured out a way to clear up his face.

Tales of Harper, short stories and poems about the fictional town of Harper, Mississippi is available on Amazon Kindle