The Unremarkable Mr. Nicholas

Smith Nicholas always had an uncanny ability to stand out in a crowd. It wasn’t just how his name always seemed to be reversed. The electric blue streaks in his wildly uncombed white hair were always questioned by many who met him and he would gleefully reply “to change things up… don’t you think the color is simply lovely?” He always donned a snow-white ferret named Mixel perched on his shoulder. A few acquaintances claimed to have even seen a little pink nose poking out of his coat pocket, and occasionally they thought they heard tiny, high-pitched squeaks. Smith was blissfully heedless of the mystery in his pocket but he did enjoy stroking Mixel’s back while frisking along his way. Most of the time, Mr. Nicholas was seen in his beloved worn out green coat that always seemed to be inside out and five sizes too large along with an imperfectly knitted yet treasured brown plaid scarf. His unkempt look might seem disconcerting to some yet his jovial charm always drew people towards him. Everywhere he went, his contagious laugh and his always lingering optimism would spread joy naturally. Over time, people stopped noticing Smith’s mismatched green and brown eyes and how his nose was slightly off center. At the last State Fair, he was overheard saying that he felt lucky to have a sharp green eye as well as a pleasant brown one. His striking, curious eyes and his hearty, infectious laugh were all that mattered. He was remarkable yet unremarkable. “A surprise of a friend” was how most would call him.