Naked Ben: A Fiction Short Story

Naked Ben was an unusual boy right from the start. Even after just being born and lying in his crib in the hospital nursery, he would be found without his diaper on. The nurses could not explain how this came about. When Ben got older and could walk by himself, he was often found walking around his house without any clothes on.

This continued right up until he entered kindergarten, where he did wear clothes but got rid of them as soon as he came home. It was impossible for his mother to invite other children to come over and have a play date with Ben.

After a long discussion with Ben’s father, Ben’s mother took Ben to the offices of Dr. Maxwell Smart, a leading child psychologist who asked Ben a great number of questions regarding his obsession of not wearing clothes. At the end of the visit the good doctor said he would send a report to Ben’s parents, which he did. It stated that he thought Ben may have a rare disease that affects young boys and will usually end when the young boy reaches puberty.

Not satisfied with the answer from Dr. Smart, Ben’s parents then went to a renown clinic to get another opinion from Dr. Arturo Candeletti, the leading dermatologist in the southwest part of the United States. Dr. Candeletti spent three hours with Ben and then told his parents that Ben did not have the rare disease that had previously been diagnosed but instead was faking it to get attention from his parents. Who to believe?

For the next eight years Ben’s parents just sort of grinned and let Ben walk around nude in the household. It was often quite embarrassing for Ben’s parents to have company for often the company would ask to see Ben. The parents said he was out when really he was locked up in his room and told not to try to get out to see who was visiting.

When Ben began high school he started to wear clothes. What a relief for his parents who told themselves that Dr. Smart had been right eight years earlier.

Ben finished high school and enrolled in a university, and one day he called his mother and told her that he had a relapse and now was walking around nude in his residential dorm. His residential adviser had written him up for this infraction and had told Ben that one more such incident and he would be expelled from school. Ben enjoyed college and so he tried and did succeed in wearing shorts while walking in the residential dorm.

Ben did manage to get through college without being thrown out. His major was advertising, and he proceeded to get a job with the leading men’s designer of sport clothes. There he not only wrote copy but ended up being a model of the clothes and is now featured in all of the leading magazines that run ads showing the latest in men’s sportswear.

© 2017 Albert Zimbler

Albert Zimbler is the 93-year-old author of six humor short story books on Amazon of which MORE DATING AND MATING SECRETS OF SENIORS AND OTHER HUMOR SHORT STORIES is the latest. He also teaches senior improv.

Click here for a video of the presentation by Al Zimbler on the inspiration for his humorous stories given to the MEL (Men Enjoying Leisure) group in Chicago to which he belongs.

Click here for an interview of Al Zimbler on “The Daily Author.”