Looking for Percy
After swimming the mandatory one kilometer in the outdoor lap pool, the Wednesday Morning Swimming Club members, which consisted of an elite group of fourteen retirees, the youngest being sixty eight, realised, that Francis had not been accounted for when the coffee orders were dispersed.
‘I gava youz all da Caffe Latte’s as you ordered,’ said Enzo the Italian Barista.
It seems much to the disapproval of Percy, the undisputed elected president, that Francis was still missing when he searched the men’s change room. ‘Not in here G’vnor,’ the Mensroom attended joked. Or in the downstairs diner and the nearby bus shelter was void of anyone entirely. Was ‘the old boy getting complacent?’ He had thought to himself. Or is he playing another one of his jokes? ‘If he was,’ he thought, ‘he would not be at all amused.’ Francis had a tendency to trail behind the group if a fair haired lass caught his eye, or often late for scheduled appointments because of some damsel in distress had exercised her feline rights to whatever domestic disturbance she needed attending to.’
An extroverted communicator, Francis possessed the gift of the gab which, was a refreshing opposite to the stiff and salty Percy. Nonetheless, Percy was not used to begrudging anyone their morning latte and seeing as he had consumed his already, went on the hunt for the illicit Francis. As he passed by the shower block, the reflection of the morning sun lit up small vestibule and he saw from the corner of his eye Francis saunter past in his jade green Speedo’s. His long lean body was the result of a life commitment to competitive swimming and his thinning blonde hair was only just starting to show the signs of turning salt and pepper.
‘Francis old chum, there you are, come I have your Caffe latte.’ Percy waited for his companion to reply, he saw his mouth move in motion, but no words escaped his lips. ‘Francis, why are you just standing there? Come on let’s get a move on, we’ve lots to get done today and the morning is nearly over.’ Percy shifted from one foot to the other, the hairs on his skin began to soften as his body warmed itself in the sunlight. A shadow emerged from the opposite end of the shower block.
‘There there G’vnor’ the Mensroom attendant said, placing a towel around the old man’s shoulders.
‘Why isn’t Francis coming forth?’ Percy asked, the bewildered look on his face testament to the Mensroom attendant’s inner fears. Luckily, Enzo had called ahead to pass on the message that the ex-Olympian, Francis was wandering around the swimming center looking for Percy yet again.
