It was a beautiful summer day in the small town of Willow Creek. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the flowers were in full bloom. The townspeople were all out and about, relishing the delightful weather.
But not everyone was in a good mood.
"Can you believe this weather?" grumbled old Mrs Jenkins as she hobbled down Main Street with her neighbour and friend, Mr Thompson. "It's just too darn nice. I bet something nasty is going to happen."
Mr Thompson froze for a moment and chuckled. He and Mrs Jenkins had lived close to each other for more than a decade. Her pessimism was not new to him. "Now, now, Mrs Jenkins. You can't go around expecting the worst all the time," he said.
"Says the man who keeps a shotgun by his front door," she retorted.
"Well, you never know," he replied with a twinkle in his eye.
Some days Willow Creek could be quiet and other days, it could be riotous. He was always prepared.
As they walked and chatted, a commotion could be heard from down the street. People were shouting and pointing, and soon a crowd had gathered around the local ice cream shop.
A riotous day it is after all.
"Maybe I should go get my shotgun?" Mr Thompson wondered aloud.
"Wait. What's going on here?" asked Mrs Jenkins, trying to peer through the crowd.
"It's the ice cream, ma'am," said a young man, his face pale. "This man sold me bad ice cream. Real bad."
It turned out that the ice cream shop had run out of their usual ingredients, so the owner had decided to use some expired cream and eggs hoping it would turn out right. The result was a batch of ice cream that smelled and tasted like spoiled milk.
"This is just terrible!" exclaimed Mrs Jenkins. "On such a lovely day too!"
But then, a voice called out from the crowd.
"Don't worry, everyone! I have a solution!"
It was none other than Mr Thompson, who had a big grin on his face. He had thought what nasty thing could happen on such a lovely day. Now, he had a plan to turn things around.
"I happen to have a spare batch of homemade ice cream in my freezer. And it's guaranteed not to make you sick!"
The crowd cheered and applauded Mr Thompson for his kindness.
"See, Mrs Jenkins?" said Mr Thompson with a chuckle. "Even on the nicest of days, there's always a little twist to keep things interesting."
Mrs Jenkins just shook her head and smiled. "I guess you're right, Mr Thompson. I wouldn't mind some ice cream too."
I hope you enjoyed reading my short story. This freewrite is inspired by the prompt "What nasty thing could happen on such a lovely day". Join the Freewriters community to receive daily prompts, hosted by @mariannewest.