Banana Man (a Novella) by Christian Blake

photographs that were taken on Danny’s birthday. Danny took a seat on the recliner’s arm for a better view, and father and son looked through the photos together.
     
    There were many pictures of Danny and his friend Chris, and the twins Billy and Tom. Some showed them eating cake and ice cream, and others showed Danny opening his presents. Near the end of the stack his dad stopped at a particular photo. In the picture Danny held up the first issue of Banana Man for the photograph while his mom held him in her arms. Both of them were smiling; Danny at the comic book and his mom at her son.
     
    “You really like that comic, don’t you?”
     
    “It’s the best,” Danny said.
     
    “I remember taking this photo. Your mother mailed in the roll to get developed. It’s cheaper when you mail it in. I thought the photos would get here sooner.” He handed it to Danny. “It goes in the frame on the mantel.”
     
    Danny took the photograph. He opened up the empty photo frame and reassembled it with the photo inside, and then put it back.
     
    “That looks good,” his dad said. He pointed at the pile of mail on the floor. “Now keep going until you’re done.”
     
    Danny held up an envelope from Davis Insurance out of Brentwood, Oregon. He handed it to his father. His dad lifted it to the firelight so he could read it. “So this is what required a signature.” Whatever it was, it was either a surprise or his dad wasn’t expecting it so soon. Danny couldn’t be sure.
     
    Much to Danny’s delight, the last piece of mail was a giant yellow envelope addressed to him.
     
    While Danny examined the big envelope from top to bottom, his dad opened the letter from the insurance company. He held a check up to the firelight. “$10,000 for a life, how about that,” his dad said, and then continued talking, but Danny didn’t hear anything he said. The boy was mesmerized by the big envelope.
     
    Danny examined every inch of it. It wasn’t bent; not a single wrinkle on the outside. Not even a crease. The contents were stiff like a sheet of cardboard. He flipped it over and read the name of the sender: Tomahawk Publishing . They were located in Eugene, Oregon. Danny recognized the name of the company and wondered why they would be sending him a package.
     
    He carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a pristine copy of the latest issue of Banana Man. It was inside a protective sleeve that was sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard. He glanced at his father, figuring maybe his dad had bought it for him, but his dad was still talking about something Danny wasn’t listening to. The comic didn’t come from his dad.
     
    There was a cover letter inside. Danny read it:
     
    Dear Danny Zuco,
     
    Please find enclosed your first of twelve issues of Banana Man. Your subscription is courtesy of:
     
    Happy Birthday Danny!
     
    You loved the first one so much I bought you the next 12!
     
    Love,
    Mom
     
    When Danny finished reading the letter, he noticed his dad had stopped talking and drifted to sleep again. His dad was always tired.
     
    Danny ran to his bedroom and pulled out a wood framed box from under his bed that matched the one on the wall containing the first issue of Banana Man. He had been saving the frame for the second issue.
     
    For the next thirty minutes Danny carefully worked on framing the comic. At some point during that time his dad woke up and joined him, and father and son finished the project together. His dad drilled a couple holes in the wall. Danny inserted the wall anchors, and next thing you know, both issues of Banana Man were hanging on the wall beside each other. And for the first time that day Danny felt at ease.

 
     
     
    CHAPTER FIFTEEN
     
    Bedtime
     
    While Danny lay in bed waiting for his dad to come in and say goodnight, he admired both issues of Banana Man from across the dimly lit room. He could barely make out Buster the Bull on the cover of the second issue, but Banana Man