The Odd Couple

The sky was tinged with orange, he ran as fast as he could down the labyrinth of doors along the street. Something was chasing him; but what was it? What ever it was, it was hidden amongst a cloud of darkness. “BARK!!” An old and smelly dog lay in front of him. He hesitated and then ran on. As the darkness shadowed over the dog, the dog seemed to become part of this, this… it was too strange and scary to be called anything. He had nowhere to go now, a stack of wooden crates were in his way. Blake Washington looked up, there were planks of wood attached from the roof of one house to the other opposite it. He jumped onto the wall to his left and then immediately jumped up off that and grabbed one of the planks. He swung round and got on top of the plank and ran forward from one plank to another. The darkness was getting closer, Blake was getting slower, he dropped down to the dusty, cobbled road below. What was this? He could see a light ahead of him; he now felt a burst of energy and was edging closer to this ‘light’. He could hear something, it sounded familiar. It was calling his name……….. ‘Blake’, ‘Blake’…………….

 

“Blake, wake up!!!” bellowed Ernie as he rattled the brains out of Blake. “Come on Blake wake up, we have to go somewhere now and I can’t rememb-“

“-Ernie!!!” yelled Blake as he got up and wrenched Ernie’s gigantic digits of his arms. Ernie had been holding Blake so tightly that his fingers had left contours on Blake’s arms. A short but reasonably built man stood up, he wore a pair of tattered jeans and a chequered shirt, after Blake got up, stretched and picked up his bag. He then leaned against the tree he’d been sleeping against and thought about what his dream was all about. ‘What was he actually running from?’, ‘Why was he running?’, ‘Would he ever get away?’ It was the third time he had this dream in the same week. Was someone or something trying to tell him something? He wasn’t sure. Blake had got ‘caught in the moment’ and once again Ernie, a huge, tall figure had to shake him out of it. Ernie Watts had limbs the size of three tree trunks and a neck, the size of a man’s thigh. He had the strength of a bull, but the only problem was that he had the intelligence of a fish. He wasn’t aware of his own strength let alone anything else.

 

Blake and Ernie were just two friends who travelled round doing different jobs here and there. One month, they could be driving trucks from town to town, the next month; they could be working hard day and night on a farm. Right now, Blake and Ernie were on their way to a construction site where they were given food, shelter and a job. The only reason they went from job to job was just so that they could save up to buy their own little cottage in the countryside where all their worries would disappear. Blake had a place in mind but as far as he was concerned, it was just a thought, just a dream to him. On the other hand, Ernie would keep asking Blake every night how they would live when they managed to save up enough money. “Go on Blake, tell me again, I promise I won’t ask again.” Ernie would plead every time.

It was now ten o’ clock in the morning, and Blake and Ernie had arrived at the construction site. “That’s a might big climbing frame Blake.” Ernie said in amazement. George replied, “It ain’t no climbing frame Ernie, it’s a construction site, they’re building a new tower where them new offices will go.”

“Oh, okay. Can I still climb it though, for fun, PLEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAASE!!!?” Ernie was still on his knees.

“Ernie, what di-“ Blake was interrupted as a tall and skinny man in a suit came up to them.

“Hi, my name is Dalton, Peter Dalton, I am your new manager, councillor and best mate. Wh…Wh……aaaaatt a.aare y..y..your names?” Peter spoke uneasily as he stared at Ernie who was still on the floor.

“Hi there.” Blake quickly spoke to take any form of attention away from Ernie. “My name is Blake Washington and this here is Ernie Watts.” Blake kicked Ernie as a hint to get him to stand up.

“Ow, what was that for?”

“Sorry Peter.” Blake apologised embarrassed. He went down to Ernie’s level and told him, “Ernie, remember what I told you last night? No monkey business, don’t say a word, just do what you’re told and try not to act so childish. Now get up!!”

“I’m sorry.” Ernie got up but kept his head down.

Now that Ernie was up, Peter could see how big Ernie was compared to anyone on the construction site let alone Blake. Blake handed over their details to Peter, he and Ernie were then directed to the office, which was just a mobile room constructed of corrugated iron. In the office they sat down and spoke to their sectors leader.

“Hey there, my name’s Curtis.” a man in another suit greeted them kindly.

 

After a while, Blake and Ernie were all sorted out and they could start work the next day. They were sharing a dorm with another person called Toby who had been working at the construction site for a few months now. When they arrived at their dorm, Blake threw his bag onto his bed, a few seconds later, Ernie did exactly the same. Blake looked at Ernie and then shook his head in confusion. They then decided to go out and explore the site and get to know a few people. At first they met Crank, he was the sectors officer, if anything went wrong, he would be there to analyze the situation and sort it out. He was tall, built and black, but that didn’t stop him from having any form of authority, everyone listened to him straight and didn’t mess with him. Next, they met Handy; he had just recently started working at the site. Soon, it was the end of the day and it was time for dinner. Workers rushed past Blake and Ernie’s dorm, as they passed, they took a look at Blake and Ernie, some stopped and said “hi”, other just laughed.

 

They were now in the hall sitting at a table eating their dinner. They were by them selves, until a little gang of men came to sit down next to them. They all squashed next to each other so that Blake and Ernie couldn’t get out. They started getting closer and closer to each other and eventually they stopped.

“So……….” One of the guys started off the conversation.

“Blake.” Blake said.

“So Blake, you and your friend here are new around here, Eh??”

“Yes…….Yes we are.”

“We have a lil’ tradition around here where we hava’ lil’ ehh thing to help us get to know each other. “

“Sorry errr…. Mister er……..”

“Harley” the man replied with a cunning smile. What was he going to do?

“Sorry Harley, but we aint’ lookin’ for no fights around here. We jus’ here to make a bit o’ money.” Blake laughed, so did Ernie, seemed like the wrong thing to do

Harley got up in frustration and so did the other men around them.

“I don’t like this place.” Ernie whispered in Blakes ear.

“What did you jus’ say?” Harley now had his fists up.

“Nu..nu..Nuthin’ mister H..h…harley” Ernie looked down “I wna go…….”

“That’s it!!! Let’s get em boys!!” the guys around them had now put all their fists up.

“Okay Ernie, went I count to three, we gots ta’ run to that door over there. Okay.” Blake pointed to the left.

“Awrite Blake, but I don’t wants ta’ hurt anybody”

“Don’t worry, only fight back if I tell you to.”

“Hokey Dokey.”

“1………..”

“But…..”

“2……..”

“Why……..”

“THREEE…… GO GO GO GO GO GO……. ERNIE GOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!”

They ran as fast as they could towards the door, Ernie going first which meant there was a clear path for Blake. The sprinted towards the door and burst it open.

“Quick. Get em’.” commanded Harley.

Blake looked left and right, there was nowhere to go. He then looked up, It was the only way to go.

“Quick Ernie, you remember you wanted to climb up the ‘climbing frame’?”

“yeeeeee” Ernie replied in delight.

“Well now is your chance come on, ill race you to the top.”

“You’re on.”

The gang were now at the doors, they looked all over the place.

“whe-……. There they are, go on guys go n’ get em.”

“Gee maaan. Das’ Perrty high. I aint goin up there.”

“Okay. Any volunteers?” nobody replied and they all backed away. “Fine then, we’ll jus hav to wait until they come back down. YEAH D’YOU HEARS THAT. WE’LL BE HERE WHEN YOU COMES BACK DOWN YOU PAIR OF GIRLS!!” They went back into the dining hall and left Blake and Ernie on the top of the construction site.

 

Blake and Ernie were now just sitting on the top of the  building. “What do we do now Blake?” asked Ernie.

“I’m not sure, we might just have to hide in the scaffolding for a while and then escape when they are not looking.”

“I’m scared. Wot if we fall.” Ernie was now looking down to the roads.

“Well, you will have to watch out and try to control every step you take okay Ernie………..Ernie, Ernie” Ernie wasn’t listening, he wasn’t even there, Blake turned round, Ernie was chasing a butterfly. The butterfly was edging closer to the edge of the building, Ernie kept on following the butterfly regardless of where he was stepping.

“Ernie, Ernie Stop now…………”

“But I just want tha’ purrty lil butterfly.”

Ernie was now on the edge jus about balancing on the pole, he was so close to the butterfly. All he had to do was reach an inch further. Blake was now behind Ernie.

“Ernie don’t move.”

“Alls I wants is the butterfly.”  The butterfly moved, Ernie jumped.

“I caught iiitttt……………………..” Ernie whailed and as he did, a tear crept out of Blakes eye.