Writer's Workshop: Who Do You Think You Know?

I'm taking part in Mama Kat's Writer Workshop today.  Lately I've been having a hard time finding a prompt... being busy can really fry your brain!  I got inspired while reading Mama Kat's post today so I'm going to write on Prompt #1 and share a story about my Hubbins... someone I thought I knew very well until the day he came home hours late and looked like swamp thing!

Every once in a while my Hubbins will surprise me and say or do something that seems out of character.  He's not a drinker or a smoker.  When we don't have anything planned on his time off then he would love to be home playing video games.  Sometimes I have to talk him into going out when his friends do and constantly reassure him that I'm not mad and want him to go.

So, there was a night a few months ago when his whole squad was going out to a bar about a half mile away from our house.  He finally decided to go around 8 pm and told me he'd be home in a few hours.  I told him not to rush and meant it.  Abby was still waking up 2 times a night and when she woke up at 12:30, Hubbins still wasn't home.  I checked my phone... no text or call.  This is more than a couple hours and totally out of character for him but I didn't want to look like the psycho wife making her Hubs come home.

Well, 12:30 turned into 1:30 and then into 2:15.  Now the bar is closed and since it's so close where is he?  I have never ever known him to stay at a bar this long without texting me at least once.  Finally, I sent him a text and he said he was on his way.

It took him an hour to get home... it should have taken him 3 minutes!  When he finally walked in the door he was covered with mud (stinky mud) from head to toe.  What in the world?!?  Why does he look like swamp thing?  So, the argument began.  His story sounded crazy.  He said his friend took a wrong turn and instead of turning around they decided to just go a back way.  Then he had to go to the bathroom and he fell in the swamp on the side of the road.  Who is this man?  Not to mention that for the life of me I couldn't figure out what road would have taken them past a swamp.

I couldn't take the smell tried to be nice the next day and clean his wool coat that was covered in mud.  I emptied all of his pockets and to my surprise there was a pack of cigarettes!  Then I found a receipt for 3 packs, all different brands.  Who's are these?  When I questioned him he admitted they were his.  Apparently when he drinks he also chain smokes and gets very generous.  Again, who is this man?

Now the whole thing is a big joke, especially because he was so sick the next day.  I'll probably never understand what he was thinking when he took the scenic route home or why he thought a swamp was a great place to relieve himself or when in the world he started smoking when he drinks.  It's so rare that he lets loose so I've just chalked it up to a fun night with the guys.  Although, I still sometimes ask myself, "Who is this guy?".  He's my Hubbins and if I knew everything about him it would get boring.  It's good to be surprised once in a while but next time I hope he calls me or texts when a few hours turn into 8!