Annual Reunion

[Captain Tancredi]

This is just something which was on the back burner for months until I felt the need to actually write it...

Annual Reunion

The tubby, grey-haired man navigated his way across the sticky pub floor to a small table in the bay window, through which he could see an unbroken grey sky, reflected in a steely-coloured sea which occasionally stopped breaking gently on the shallow beach as a careless breeze forced a more substantial wave up against the well-worn breakwater. Holding a pint of dark and treacly bitter in each hand, he carefully placed a pint on each of the beermats on the table, then took his seat in a wooden armchair which had considerately been placed next to a glowing log fire. Looking for a moment at the light froth which passed for the head on his beer, he raised the glass to his lips and looked across the table to where his dark, gaunt companion was doing much the same.
Well, then, Mr Quill, he began, the toast is to the Old Days and Absent Friends, taking in a mouthful of bitter. Hed tasted worse, he reckoned, and at least it wasnt full of gas like that lager the younger lot seemed to drink nowadays.
Cheers, Mr Quill replied, taking in a mouthful of his own.
Did you have a good journey down?, the tubby man asked. Only we seemed to catch every lot of roadworks going on our way here. I said to Janet, its as if every gas board and water board in the country knew we were coming here. Roadworks here, roadworks there...took us ages, it did. Ive left Janet at that garden centre a mile or two down the road- promised to pick her up at two, so I cant stay all afternoon, only her sister lost her husband last year and Janet likes to go over one or two nights a week to keep her company. Shes a nice enough lady, Mr Quill, but enoughs enough sometimes and if I have to hear about her Arnold one more time I think Ill probably be joining him.
Mr Quill looked at his companion with an expression of mild pity and took another mouthful of beer.
I mean, its not as if we dont have problems of our own, the tubby man continued. Do you know, I get a terrible gassy stomach sometimes- have done for years- well, the doctors have had a look at it, but they cant even work out whats causing it, let alone give me anything for it.
Mr Quill belched gently as if in sympathy.
Things were different in our day, werent they, Mr Quill, he continued. Euro Sea Gas- now there was a place to work. That Mr Robson ran the place like clockwork, he did- none of your messing about. Oh, those were the days- part of the future, we were- and then it all seemed to stop, didnt it? We had those problems with pressure in the pipelines one year, and they said there must have been some sort of leak in the control centre because quite a few people- I happen to know- were off sick for quite a while afterwards. Must have caught some of the gas, they thought- but they never did tell us much more about it. And then after all that, they decided the pipes werent safe and closed everything down for months while they laid new ones.
Mr Quill rolled his eyes by way of a response.
D you remember what happened to Mr Robson, by the way? Quills companion asked. Think somebody said they tried to retire him on ill heath- nervous breakdown, I think they said- but he wouldnt go so they gave him a seat on the ESGO board. That told him! And those Harrises- well, after that, he was guaranteed promotion, wasnt he? Couldnt put him in charge quickly enough once theyd laid the new pipelines, but then there was that talk of him carrying on with that other woman who lived with them for a bit. University vice-chancellor, they said she was, but I really cant believe that, can you, Mr Quill? It seems so...oh, whats the word...implausible.
Mr Quill nodded without speaking, and then in one surprisingly long gulp, drained the remaining three-quarters of his pint, belched again softly and placed his glass back on the beermat. His companion looked at his wristwatch.
Oh dear, Mr Quill, he said, smiling a regretful if slightly insincere smile, it does look as if Im going to have to be getting on. Time and Janet wait for no man, he added, smiling at his own joke. Ill send you a postcard from our holiday same as usual- we always seem to find ourselves going to the seaside these days, cant imagine why.
The tubby man rose from his seat, shook hands firmly with Mr Quill and left the pub with a wave. Mr Quill watched him get into his car, and then waved again as he drove off along the promenade of the small seaside town. He bought himself another pint, and then gazed out into the relentless grey sky and watched the relentless waves as they gently deposited on the beach the occasional piece of wood, the float from a lobster pot, and every so often a knot of foam-shrouded seaweed. Mr Quill took a sip from his fresh pint and once again silently toasted old times.

[Pip Madeley]

I enjoyed that, Ian - thanks for sharing