The Misadventures of Handsome Hank: In other
words, it is a comedy of charms, with the main
idea expounded in the play
Once upon a time in the land of mountains and thatched roof cottages, there lived a boy whom they called Hank. Well, Hank was not an ordinary boy at all – he was handsome, or at least he had this spectacular look on his face, which, depending on the circles of society one navigates in, could be either a blessing or a cross. As for Hank, he looked like a Greek God, which included set of sparkling white teeth that would give any dentist a run for their money, black hair and it was naturally curly and grew at the top like an upward curl. But, as you could see, there’s always a darkness behind cheerful looks – Hank was a kind of a man who was accident waiting to happen and life itself was a comedy with him.
**Morning Routine Mayhem**
At morning one beautiful day Hank woke up, said farewell to sleep, stretched, yawning demonstrated with great curiosity marvelous muscles and leaned to see his naked mirror like face. “Yet another day to fail the damsel,” he remarked jestingly rubbing his wrist and winking lasciviously. Which was quite ignorant about what was in store for him tomorrow which was rather unusual.
Thus, there was no difficulty in people joining his fascination as he strolled on the road; each wanted to be near him, and the women’s hearts palpitated. All the ladies of the house, married and bereaved, cleared their throats, lowered their voices and giggling children were sent indoors; postmen read the letters and papers clumsily; the dogs in the neighbor’s yard barked more alertly. The energy that this tall man named Hank brought to the group definitely cannot be overemphasized – except perhaps when walking slightly like a lame chicken, thanks to a cracked pave stone he accidentally stepped on and which provoked some tap dancing moves that took the laughter of the group to another level.
**The Bakery Catastrophe**
Later that day Hank thought of going to nearby bakery that was famous for its bread and bakery products and smell of baking was quite overwhelming. As he moved closer to the counter, that he was spotted by Mrs. Jenkins, the owner of the bakery, who nearly spilled a tray of scones in shock.
“Oh my stars, Hank! You are glowing today more than ever,” she proceeded to embarrass herself with the heavy blush on her face.
Hank tossed his crème dela crème poker face to the wind and smiled, responding, “Well, thank you Mrs Jenkins, I think my friends and I will gladly take a dozen of the best cinnamon rolls from you.”
Unbeknownst to Hank, however, his magnetic personality appeared to imbue his companions with a rather amusing quality. He kept rooting around across from his seat for his wallet as his elbow nudged a precarious pyramid of micro – cupcakes; all the cupcakes fell on to the floor in a flurry of sugar dust. I remember the looks on Mrs. Jenkins’s face and some customers tried to hide their laughter, while the rest were simply amused as poor Hank knelt on the floor trying to pick up the remaining crumbles and pieces of cupcakes while apologizing to everybody.
**The Charity Gala Fiasco**
The following day, Hank got himself an invitation to a charity dinner organized by Mayor of the town. With clean black shinning shoes, Hank fit in a Tuxedo with well-defined jawline and broad shoulders to mingle making a difference in the grand ballroom. As the clock ticked away, he could not expect the evening to turn into something he did not anticipate.
Hank, as a young successful man, skillfully waded through the sea of beautiful outgoing women and other well wishers and ended up in a conversation with the mayor’s grandmother who was a well know gossip. She moved closer to me as if she were going to whisper a secret and her powdered face transformed into a profound red.
“Dear Hank,” she said even louder as if with hush, “I heard you are quite a player; I have been told you saved a kitten from a tree and posed .”
Hank smiled uneasily, attempting to guide the conversation away from more sensitive issues. However right before he could do this he stumbled and tripped over the flared edge of the tablecloth and the result was glasses of champagne being spilled and people jolted and their glasses clinking in alarm.
**The Romantic Comedy Twist**
Within the mess of just spilled champagne and awkward apologies Hank found himself gazing into the eyes of a young lady standing beside him. She was grinning widely! Her smile was as bright as his and she had that mischievous glint in her eyes. Her name was Emily, and she was an artist living in that town popular for her witty sense of humor, and that cute charm.
‘Well, hello to you too,’ Hank laughed and as Emily started to wipe the broken glass from his face, she grinned, ‘You certainly know how to make an entrance.’
Hank smiled awkwardly, feeling a rising excitement wel ing inside him at the sight of this stunning yet simple lady. Upon hearing that Hank enjoys listening to embarrassing pun jokes and watching the unknown 80s movies, he found his awkwardness as a gift that lets him establish friendships in different ways.
**Epilogue: Lessons Learned**
Over the weeks that remain, Hank succeeds in winning over the town with his handsome face and funny falls. They went from accidentally enlisting in a synchronized swimming team to realizing that Hank is great at interpretive dancing as well as being able to appreciate the LIFE and the FUN in the most ridiculous of circumstances.
Regarding Emily, it is necessary to mention that when they first met at the gala, it could only be the beginning of wonderful love from picnicking in parks, spontaneous car trips, and numerous jokes. Yes, they swam the rough sea of a small town life and finally the handsome boy was able to find the happiness in a very unusual place.
Thus, dear reader, the story of Handsome Hank approximates an ending; a comedy of charm and accident and the serendipity of existence. If Hank would be around, he would say, ‘Here’s to the follies and to find the poetic in the stumble.’