Dick Waters is the Readers’ Choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. The winning entry is decided by the popular vote and rewarded with a special feature here today. This week there was a tie, so the writer who submitted an entry first is the winner per our rules. Without further ado, here’s the winning story:
Cattle Drive
by Dick Waters
Commuting from the countryside to the city can be unpredictable. Working in the director’s office at a Fortune 500 company is not a place to be late.
Herb was a nice guy, but he was a stickler for being on time. Two months in this position and I had never been late.
I had my usual light breakfast, said my goodbyes to the wife and headed off to work. Sixteen miles, which was usually a thirty-minute drive.
My mind was focused somewhere between work and music, when a cowboy jumped in front of my BMW. I quickly noticed he didn’t have an option as the other cowboy had opened the fence and the heard was pushing one another to squeeze through the gate.
I had plenty of time to count the cows, but never thought there would be this many. I should have counted how many times I looked at my watch.
I was ten minutes late, and Herb was standing arms across his chest looking at HIS watch. I couldn’t help it, I started to laugh. Herb followed right on my heels to my office.
“You’re LATE.”
I turned, saw his red face and couldn’t help starting to laugh again.
“Herb, I’m sorry.” I tried my best to catch my breath to say more.
“This better be a good one!”
*.*.*
From time to time now, I cut the silence with a Moo, and we chuckle, knowing the rest of the story.
