The pontoons formed an oblong swimming area in Lake Timpsa on the Suez at Fayid village. Most GHQ OR"s spent off duty moments sunning and swimming in this area during the day,
Our "clique" was no exception. As new arrivals we ran the gauntlet of being pounced on by the natives. Begging kids and adults swarmed on us. Men selling watches that unsuspecting new arrivals eagerly purchased and to their sorrow soon found were junk.
The reason new bods were singled out became apparent when on nonchalantly emerging out of the changing shed, A loud bellow of, "Ooh Look!" "Martians!" followed by howls of laughter and cheering because we were dead white and stuck out like sore thumbs,
The boardwalk to the pontoons seemed never ending and although pale when we first trod on it, we were bright pink with embarrassment at the other end. Two weeks later we blended in.
One Saturday afternoon and the usual trek to the pontoons for a dip, the area was uncharacteristically empty with only a few sunbathers around the pontoons. Without wasting time, I stepped to the edge of the pool and performed my usual party piece, a perfectly executed swallow dive with backward one and a half somersaults with double twist and tuck, ending in a belly flop and surfacing half way across the pool to hysterical laughter from my mates and shouts of, "Everitt!" "There's Sh*t in the water!" and so there was. The sewerage had been released from an outlet pipe just outside the swimming area.
My exit was almost as miraculous as walking on water.
I have been in the "Poo" heaps but never managed to get myself out of it as quickly as on that occasion.
Topic: General. Going Through The Motions. (Read 2974 times)