Binky #1: That Judge Gets Mad at Binky

It had been a while since I’ve been up on the Square in Chardon. I was walking along the sidewalk recalling the incident back in July when Binky told me how he had seen the encounter between that judge and the policeman.  Later that judge told him that he had his robes on because he was going to choir practice and he was just singing to the policeman. That judge was showing the policeman how he could project his voice.  It wasn’t surprising that Binky heard and saw it all. Binky spent most of his days sitting right across the street from the courthouse annex where that judge worked.  He sat there on an iron park bench feeding the pigeons. Binky loved feeding the pigeons and considered them his friends.

I suspected I would run into Binky, but I wasn’t prepared for him to dash across the street yelling, “Dave, why did you do it. Dave I’m in trouble with that judge because of you.”  I walked Binky back to the park bench and got him calmed down a bit.  Then I asked him to explain what had happened.

He said that judge had told him to say that stuff about the choir practice.

“Dave, you went and had it printed in the newspaper.”

“Dave, that judge got really mad at me. Right after the paper came out he saw it and came running across the street yelling at me.“

Binky related how that judge ran across the street with his robes flying behind. Binky said it sort of reminded him of one of those super heroes you see in the movies that have capes.

In an angry voice that judge asked why he said that stuff that was in the paper. Binky was really confused.  It was what that judge had told him to say. The judge yelled at Binky some more and said he never said those things. Binky was near tears.  He had always tried to be helpful and now he had failed. Binky said that judge was all red faced and angry and said he was going to issue a ‘bench warrant’ and take away the park bench that Binky sat on every day.

Binky was worried. He was worried about the pigeons.  He was afraid they would be confused.  I told Binky not to worry. The pigeons liked him and would stick with him and he should keep feeding them.  I told him that if that judge took his bench away we would simply go down to the depot-mart and buy him the finest folding chair that they had. Then he would have a place to sit while he fed the pigeons. This lifted Binky’s spirit a bit, but he was still unhappy.

“Dave, I just said what that judge wanted me to say and he got mad at me”

“Binky”, I said, “when you told me what that judge wanted you to say was that the truth?”

“No, not exactly” he replied.  But if I had told the truth he would’ve been even madder at me.”

“Binky, people all over Chardon know you, like you, and trust you. You don’t want to lose their trust.”

“Dave this is very hard for me.  I don’t know what to say to people.”

I put my hand on his shoulder and stood up.

“I know you’ll do the right thing. I’ll see you soon and keep feeding the pigeons.”

NEXT TIME: Binky's Bench Is Removed

The opinions expressed here are solely those of Dave Partington. Binky’s Bench is paid for solely by Dave Partington. Binky's Bench is a work of fiction.