Intermezzo

I went to the pool at lunchtime to do my laps, and was up to #13, or #15 (I always lose count around #8), when I heard a whistle, just before my tumble-turn - I looked up, and the guard, in red and yellow, said, We've seen some flashes of lightning, we're emptying the pool for 15 minutes. Oh ok, I said, and dragged myself out. It was the deep end, and I walked around to the shallow end where my stuff was, and took it to the change-room and showered and dressed, as I would be late back from lunch if I waited.

I came outside to put my socks and shoes on as a young guy played the intermezzo from Swan Lake on the piano and the dark clouds rolled by, muttering and rumbling. As I left, the cold swimmers, arms folded and towels draped, still waited to go back in the pool.