Stinky Fred Oshkosh

STINKY FRED OSKOSH

CHAPTER ONE FRED AND MOLLY

If anyone had told me I would marry Fred Oshkosh someday I would have told them they were more than a few bricks shy of a full load. Yet here I was married to him after six- month long engagement. We had been in high school together after my family moved into the lakeside community of Chippewa Hills in mid-Michigan not far from Big Rapids; home to Ferris State University. After Fred graduated from high school we had largely remained distant from one another for years until we came together again to walk his dog Molly one evening. That was when my life started to change in unexpected ways.

I had never thought of Fred as being someone I would date in high school as he was two grades ahead and almost three years older. He was a good student, served on Student Council for his class and ran track. His studious habits and interest in the out-of-doors, particularly birds, set him apart from most guys in the entire school, indeed, from anyone else I knew. But it was his adventures with his dog, or rather his father's dog Molly, a mix of something and a red-bone hound that made him a subject of interest and the butt of good natured ribbing.

My first direct experience with Fred and Molly took place while attending a picnic party at the lake association park soon after our family moved into our new home in early June. This party was for the high school students that lived on the lake including incoming freshmen. This was my first introduction to many of the students I would attend classes with in the fall.

Several kids had their dogs with them and all of the animals seemed to get along well. I remember Molly was the only dog that didn't engage in begging for food. It wasn't long before one of the girls told me Fred had trained her not to do it. Molly lay at Fred's feet much of the time or wandered around the periphery of the park putting her nose to work. Once in a while I saw one of the kids walk up to her and pet her while her tail wagged as if it were about to fly off; they were sneaking her a bit of hotdog or hamburger when Fred wasn't watching. Molly was very well liked it seemed.

It was a while later that Molly came dashing head long towards Fred that everyone quickly gave way. Mable took my arm and led me away from Fred saying- "Watch this. This is should be good."

Molly charged head long to Fred, long ears flying, tail wagging excitedly, and started to lick his face and rub against him as she whirled around him. It looked to me like one of the most wonderful exchanges I had ever seen between a dog and its owner. I noticed everyone was standing in a ring around them with smiles or laughing. Seconds later Fred let out a loud- "Molly! Not again! Get away from me!" As he tried to fend her off.

Molly was having none of it. She pressed her friendly attack home, almost knocking Fred down as she wound herself between his bare legs. Fred finally got hold of her collar and started towards the lake half bent over as he walked. It was then I noticed the dark colored stains on Molly's brownish red back and belly. As they passed close I could detect the hideous odor of something, well, half composed or dead. She had found a dead animal or of pile excrement to roll in and had elected to share her prize with Fred. I heard loud guffaws as several of his male friends called out- "Stinky! Get Molly out of here."

At first I thought 'Stinky' was simply an exclamation pointing out the obvious. It was just a few seconds later Mable looked at me with a broad smile.

"Welcome to the neighborhood. You have now officially met 'Stinky' Fred Oshkosh and his wonder dog Molly."

I watched as a grim-faced Fred took Molly down into the water and proceeded to wash her coat as Molly made some effort to resist his attentions and escape. After a few minutes of watching Molly get a bath everyone turned their attention back to the food and drink and laughed at Fred's latest misadventure. I learned over the next hour this was far from the first involving Molly and her predilection for foul smelling substances. Sam Upton looked at me with a broad grin as Fred put Molly on a leash and headed home as both of them dripped water.

"Fred just never seems to understand he's not ever going to break Molly of that behavior. He will be scrubbing her clean again once he gets back home as he always does. That is until the next time she does it."

Fred's family owned the local septic cleaning service and I found his nick name came from Molly's behavior, not from his father's occupation. Fact is, his family had one of the best reputations of any family in the area, there was seldom anything ill said of them that was based upon anything but foul rumor so to speak. My introduction to Fred was humorous in a way and though he was not happy with Molly he hadn't gotten mad at her either. He seemed to have an even temper, at least when it came to Molly.

Since we lived only three houses apart so I saw Fred often as he drove one of the septic trucks in and out of their pole barn located next to the road. His father was almost obsessive about keeping the two trucks clean, their white cabs and tanks spotless white and shiny. Any sign of rust anywhere on the tank was taken care of within a week.

This habit extended not only to the exterior of the trucks but also to the interior as I learned later that summer when Fred saw me walking back from the library and offered me a ride home. I was tempted not to accept the ride as my mother and father had pointed out to me the small printing on the rear of the tank that was visible when you stopped behind it at a stop sign- 'Don't hit me- I'm full of S- -T!'. They had laughed and I had felt it was in poor taste- my teenage girl mentality at work. But I was even less inclined to walk the next mile in the eighty degree heat and hot sun and swallowed my pride. I climbed in and found the cab clean as a whistle and Fred out of his coveralls and in clean shorts and tee-shirt.

It was the first time I had ever been alone with Fred and I found him better looking than I remembered. He dropped me off at home and backed the truck up the road to their pole barn. That was the only time all summer we did anything other than wave to one another in passing.

Once school started we saw one another at the bus stop but seldom interacted other than sharing a greeting. He was always friendly towards me as he was with everyone; he certainly didn't single me out for attention. I found he never really seemed to mind his nickname and took it in stride. Even a few of the girls called him Stinky; though I could never come to call him that myself.

It was evident Molly was important to him that he accepted her for both her good and not so good behaviors. Anyone who didn't know the particulars about Fred and Molly would never understand why such a good looking guy would be called 'Stinky' and not take umbrage.

I found making friends easy and fitting in came without much effort. I was a good student, not the best, but I managed a 'B' average. I was in Art Club, giving me an outlet for my poor artistic talent, but I had fun. I wasn't in the 'cool group', but I had a lot of friends and found quite a few guys that enjoyed my company. I really didn't date my freshman year and rarely my sophomore year. My parents encouraged my involvement in school activities such as dances, but were cool on my dating until I became a junior.

When the junior and senior proms came around most of the girls talked about the possibility of being asked. Even the freshmen and sophomore girls grew excited as there were more boys than girls in the junior and senior classes. A fact related to me by several of my girlfriends. I held little hope of being asked as the new girl in school. The Junior Prom showed that conclusively as I wasn't asked. When the Senior Prom came along I was pleased to be proven wrong.

I was invited to the Senior Prom by Sam almost a month before it was to be held. When prom night arrived I was dressed to kill in my prom dress, my hair made up, and full makeup. I was allowed to go provided I was home by twelve midnight. I think my mother was as happy about my being asked as I was. Dad stayed pretty quiet. My folks took pictures of the both of us after Sam pinned my corsage on before we stepped out the door to Sam's parent's car he had for the evening.

Upon arriving Sam and I learned that Fred's date had come down with the flu just the day before. Fred had elected to come to the prom by himself to enjoy the company of his friends. I was sure he was really disappointed as his date, Dory Samuels, was one of the prettiest juniors and was very much sought after.

I was amazed I was asked to begin with, as I was pretty, but not blessed with the kind of build that attracted a lot of guys- smaller breasted and a little heavy in the middle; nothing that losing ten or fifteen pounds wouldn't cure. Sam and I was talking and sipping punch when much to my surprise Sam looked at me and spoke quietly as he leaned towards my ear.

"You know it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you danced with Stinky a few times. He should have some fun while he's here. What do you think?"

"Sam that's a wonderful idea. Are you sure?"

"Yes. He has always been a good friend to me and has stuck up for me when some of the jocks wanted to put me down. So if you're willing I'm game."

Sam and I danced four fast dances when the music started off. Sam was on the thin side and tall. He looked a little like his joints were loose and ready to come apart as he moved. I kept an eye on Fred for almost half an hour as he sat and talked with friends; but was often left alone at the table when they all got up to dance.

I was just about to tell Sam I was going to dance with Fred when a slow dance came on. I elected to stay with Sam, after all I was his date. I found after no more than a minute Sam had far less coordination while slow dancing than fast dancing. Open toed shoes and Sam didn't mix well. After having my toes stepped on hard a few times I was about to ask Sam if we could sit down; I was going to tell him I was tired and needed a rest. Then I saw a hand touch Sam's shoulder.

"Sam mind if I break in?"

Sam looked at Fred with an expression of what I took as relief. "No not at all. Stinky I'm stepping all over Sonia. I'm not good at this."

Sam stepped away and I found myself in Fred's arms. It was as if I had found the perfect dance partner. He led me around the dance floor, leading me expertly, never coming close to brushing against another couple on the crowded dance floor. When the music ended we walked to Sam and sat down. Sam looked at me apologetically.

"Sorry Sonia. I knew I was stepping all over you. Dancing should be something to enjoy, not a form of torture."

Then he turned to Fred. "Thanks I owe you. I was really starting to get embarrassed. I felt like I had four feet and none of them wanted to do what I wanted them to do."

"Sam you just need to practice some. You don't have the advantage of having an older sister to teach you like I did. Perhaps Sonia will get you whipped into shape before you have to do this again. After all you don't live all that far apart."

"Good idea." I offered. Wanting to make Sam feel better.

"Listen. You two do the slow dances and an occasional fast dance. That way all of us will have a good time." Sam suggested.

All of us agreed and later on several other girls danced with Fred too. I was so impressed with how much respect his classmates showed him. He really was well liked. I almost hated it when one of them broke in while I was dancing with him. Though I noticed they tended to dance closer to him than I did on the slow dances. At the last slow dance of the evening Fred looked at me with his wonderful smile and soft eyes that drew me in more all the time.

"Sonia. You dance so beautifully. Thank you for making my evening more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. The other girls I danced with this evening are older, but none of them dance as well as you. It's been a pleasure."

I could feel myself swell with pride at the compliment. Regardless of what Sam might say yet before he dropped me off at home Fred had already made my evening something I would always remember.

That night Sam dropped me off and we shared a small thank you kiss. He thanked me for the wonderful evening. I made my way to my bedroom, shed my prom dress, washed off my makeup, combed my hair out, and slipped into bed. I was dead tired. I had danced almost every single dance between the two of them.

But it was Fred I appreciated most for his friendly conversation while we danced and how relaxed I felt in his arms. I found it hard to feel bad for Dory in a way.

Fred worked driving one of the two trucks his father owned to make money during the summer. I would see him dressed in his coveralls and we would wave to each other. He never stopped to talk and it was seldom I saw him in the evening when he wasn't with another girl. At the end of the summer he left to attend college and I saw his car in his family's driveway only during holidays when he was home. I never got close enough to have a conversation with him that summer. I saw Fred rarely the next year and heard he was taking a large load of classes each semester, taking summer classes to graduate sooner.

I graduated from high school and started working on my associate's degree in book keeping at community college. I had always had a good mind for numbers and actually found the school work enjoyable. I gained my associates degree the following year and soon took the certification test from the state. The certification would allow me to start my own business or go to work with a firm. The certification promised a better than average starting salary once I was employed. I was still living with my parents.

I dated a number of fellow students and met one that really turned me on that first year out of high school. I lost my virginity in a cheap hotel room just off campus. We lasted two months before I realized he was not the man I wanted to marry someday. I gave too much and he gave too little. I was thrown into a deep well of self-doubt and sorrow for a month or more before I found myself willing to begin dating again.

In a strange twist I found myself taking Molly for walks. Mr. Oshkosh had been walking Molly past our house for years without having her on a leash. You could hear him coming as he kept calling out to Molly to stay near him. Molly of course let her nose guide her and basically ignored his commands. Dad and I was standing outside one evening and dad called out to him.

"What's the matter Tim? Molly too much to handle."

"Blasted dog is dumb as a rock. She never did do what I wanted her to do. She always listened to Fred. I don't think she ever considered me her master." This with a look of displeasure as Molly wandered across to the other side of the road.

I don't know why I decided to call Molly's name. But I did. "Molly!"

Molly's head shot up, turned, and looked right at me. Seeing this I called her- "Molly come!"

Molly's tail started to wag with excitement as she headed my way at a trot. Her floppy ears flapping with each bound. She stopped right in front of me as I looked down.

"Good girl Molly. Sit!"

Molly didn't hesitate. She sat down and looked up at me with those beautiful brown eyes sitting behind a muzzle with a ridge of hair running down the center, her snout tipped with a moist black nose.

"Molly you are a good girl. Stay." The end of Molly's tail waved in seeming jubilation.

Mr. Oshkosh looked down at Molly and then to me. "Well dog gone it if that don't beat the bejabblers out of me."

My dad laughed. "Tim I guess you and Molly are having a communication problem."

"There's no communication problem. I tell her the same thing and she just ignores me."

Then Mr. Oshkosh looked at me with a smile.

"Sonia you know Fred used to take her out for a walk almost every night. Would you consider taking Molly for a walk a few times a week? If you can keep her from finding and rolling in nasty smelling stuff that would be even better. I would even pay you to do it. One less aggravation for me."

"Sure. But you don't need to pay me." I replied as I scratched Molly's ears. Something I had seen Fred do to her once and she obviously enjoyed.

I started taking Molly out almost every evening. Mr. and Mrs. Oshkosh were a pleasure to be around. I could see how Fred could be so laid back, yet responsible. I enjoyed seeing them when I went to get Molly and return her home. They almost always had a little bite of something for me to take home. A muffin, something fresh from the garden in season, or just a little jar of jam or jelly. Mrs. Oshkosh was always busy in the kitchen and her garden and it seemed she enjoyed my company.

I hadn't realized walking Molly also meant Fred knew of my activities and how much time I spent with her. Mrs. Oshkosh always mentioned how Molly wouldn't leave Fred's side when he came home for a visit. Molly felt Fred was her owner and she allowed others to take care of her in his absence. But for some reason Molly had special affection for me. When we walked all I had to do to steer her clear of something smelly was to call out. "No. Molly. That's not for you." And she would return to walk next to me for a while.

I was dating and found myself disillusioned yet again and again. I vowed to be more selective and not throw my heart away each time. As much as I enjoyed sex I decided I wasn't going to give that away either. I decided I was better than that and threw most of my energy into my education, dating but once in a while. It was now three years since I had graduated and most of my fellow classmates from high school were married and living nearby or had moved on to distant places to grow careers and families. I found myself in a familiar place without a lot of familiar faces to visit with, though Mable called me from time to time. I felt lonely after a while.

Not only did I not have a lot of close friends, but I had become another woman physically after high school. I had been a late bloomer. I now had the figure I had always dreamed of. I decided after a while my inexperience with men hadn't matched my physical changes that my relationships had suffered. I had been flattered by the increased attention and didn't realize men were interested in me for something just a little different.

When I was offered a position with a small firm in Big Rapids in the accounting department I was delighted. My life was about to change in unexpected ways.

CHAPTER TWO SOMETIMES MEN STINK

I liked my job and most of the people I worked with. I seemed to fit in pretty well and after three months had gotten a raise. I was using my parent's second car to commute back and forth to work and was saving money to purchase my own. Living at home meant not paying but a small sum for rent and pitching in on groceries. I walked Molly at least four times a week and it seemed we both enjoyed it.

I was really attracted to a guy I met that worked in the same building my firm occupied. We started meeting for lunch and it didn't take long before he was suggesting we should go out together. I was keen on the idea. He was always well dressed, was good looking, and seemed very down to earth. I mentioned him to one of my coworkers and got a stern look. Then Dottie who had overheard the exchange walked over to me and whispered.

"Sonia. You know he's married don't you?"

I was stunned. I really didn't believe it. The next day when we went to lunch I looked more closely at his ring finger and noticed it had a faint light colored area where a ring was worn. He was taking it off during the day while at work. I looked at him as we ate. Then casually asked.