Fred and Floe

I wrote this when I was young. It is perhaps not a coincidence that I found it, stuffed in a file in my parents house, when I did. I duly dedicate it to the girl I love on the eve of my adventure in Arabia. I love you Charisse...

Fred and Floe
by Cory Stephens
2/29/ (year unknown)

Immediately the doctor rushed in. Everyone was having mixed feelings about the birth. Some were happy, some were worried, but all were excited.

After the longest six hours of all their lives, Fred was born.

After the delivery everyone was silent, in the room there was no movement, except for the murmur of a muffled cry. The child was born with no mouth.

As Fred grew up it was very difficult. He had to get very painful shots, for nutrients, every day, he couldn't laugh, he had very much trouble communicating, and on top of all that, the other snobby kids laughed at poor mouthless Fred.

When he was a decade old he had a very tense surgery. It dragged on for about one very long week.

And after that hard, long, wait, it all failed (and costed A LOT of money).

One day when Fred was seventeen he fell desperately in love with a girl named Floe. It took her an awful long to figure out that she was desperately in love also. All during this period of time her peers picked on her because she dated Fred.

After about one or two years passed, Fred took Floe out to eat and said in sign language, "Floe, will you marry me?"

In partial astonishment Floe said, "What took you so long, of course I will!" They set a wedding date for six months later.

Finally the weddings eve arrived. Everyone was in sparkling tears. They are all so happily proud of both Fred Alexander and soon to be Mrs. Floe Alexander! The wedding day arrived and after the "I do" part, the reverend said, "You may try to kiss the bride."

About a year after their marriage doctors heard of the awkward wedding and decided to help Fred free of charge! Fred and Floe soon agreed to do it.

Two weeks later Fred found himself in an operating chair being gassed. A few hours later Fred woke up.

He could feel hard things, TEETH, a squishy thing, a tongue, and a little thing that dangles in the back of his throat. The surgery had succeeded!!

After a month of hard training Fred could eat with utinsels, talk, and KISS!!

For the first time in his life no one stares, he can eat, he can be a normal person. Best of all, he won't owe the doctor a billion dollars!