Binky #3: Binky and The Statue

There was a cold wind blowing on the Chardon Square. Winter had started.  I ducked into the coffee shop and grabbed a couple of cups of coffee. Then I headed over to see Binky. I was paying attention to the coffee so I wouldn’t spill it. When I looked up I almost dropped both cups. There was a big 20-foot tall statue of that judge. I crossed the street and greeted Binky. I handed him one of the cups then handed him a sack of muffins. He thanked me and ate one of the muffins. Then he began to distribute the rest to the pigeons. Binky spent his days on the courthouse lawn feeding the pigeons. He liked the pigeons and I believe they liked him too.

My attention quickly returned to the new statue.

I said, “My gosh Binky,” pointing to the statue, “What’s this all about?”

“Dave, a couple of days ago a truck with a crane backed in and lowered the statue. Then the workmen bolted it down on that concrete slab.” The foreman of the crew had watched the installation of the new statue. It was a statue of that judge. The foreman looked at the statue and grimaced. As I looked at the statue I guessed it was about 20 feet tall with a flowing robe and an outstretched arm. The statue’s finger was pointing south right toward the police station. Binky said that shortly after the installation was done a man called a prosecutor stopped by to introduce himself to Binky and bring him a hot cup of coffee. At first Binky was confused. He thought the man said prospector and he knew that the man wouldn’t go digging for gold in that nice suit he had on.  The prosecutor explained that he was the attorney for the county and he was called a prosecutor. Then he told Binky he was sorry that the statue had been put there. But Binky said he thought it would probably be OK. Binky pointed to the statue. The pigeons had adjusted to the statue right away. Binky and the prosecutor looked at the statue. The pigeons had been landing on the statue’s arms and head. They were doing what pigeons do to statues. Binky began apologizing. He knew the statue must have cost a lot of money. The prosecutor chuckled, then sighed. He said it came from that judge’s Special slush fund. Binky said the pigeons had gotten used to it right away. The pigeons enjoyed sitting on it. Binky said, “Now that it’s been there a couple of days it could probably stay.” Binky asked if there wasn’t a law called the ‘statue of limitations’ that would apply. The prosecutor smiled and said he would look into it. Then the prosecutor said something that made Binky really happy. “You know Binky, I like you and all of my staff like you. People all over Chardon like you. Don’t worry. Just keep feeding the pigeons.”

Next Time: Binky Gets Arrested

The opinions expressed here are solely those of Dave Partington and of course Binky and maybe the pigeons. Binky’s Bench is a work of fiction.