didnt seem like anyone was home 

he climbed the black picket wrought iron fence and walking across the wide lawn towards the flatstone apron that ranaround the swimming pool he reminisced of bygone times  its accompanying hilarity

the pool was empty

                   drydead leaves scattered on the bottom  its blue walls faded

he wondered how long had it been unused

its emptiness shook himtook him by surprise it took the wind out of his sails he had come to swim

he hoppedup on the divingboard walked to the end and sat down crosslegged

                                                                                  this pool for three summers while he was a teenager was where theyhe and his buddies boys and girls kicked off all the swimming pools that followed on those particular nightsthose riotous galavants

                                             it was his idea   he wanted to recreate John Cheevers The Swimmer

   

their happy roving band was usually between fivesix ten tops it was hard to get ten naked teenagers into the water before being found out 

                Scott a buddy who worked as a caddie at the Country Club casually mentioned his surprise that club members owned swimming pools  he and Scott swam at public pools or the Y

                                                                                  Can you imagine how cool that would be, swimming in your own pool?

I cant No he shook his head

I can’t either. Something else, ain’t it? 

Yes it is Theyre fortunate  I cant imagine

                                           his imagination took that as a challenge  it summonsed Burt Lancaster Ohman Scott have you ever seen or read Cheevers The Swimmer   

his Who? was quick a snarl

                            Cheever? was as pungent No. You know if school didn’t assignment it I ain’t reading it.

I just thought . .

. . You didn’t think, Joe, no, you always have your nose in some book or another, I ain’t like you; you know that.

Yes I know that I wasnthe wasnt apologising  I didnt mean anything by it Just listen hear me out

In this book a man Ned lives in an highend community after swimming and drinks at his Country Club he decideshes adamant  hes going to swim home The story proceeds as Ned goes from one neighbours pool to the next along the way Its fascinating

                           Whadaya think

Think?  Think about what?

We could do thatnot necessarily swim home  jump fences swim fourfive pools through parts of town As a lark Skinny dip Bring some girls along

Itd be a kick

 

there was outrage which was crippled an fell to goodnatured laughter naked fit teenagers swimmingsplashing running off as the lights went up and the owners came out yelling  first time he heard the word inimitable said

                                                                                                            a womans voice

they fled

only a few times the cops were called  but they dressed were on foot hid up in trees

cops  no one  looks up

1022,  ReggaeFriday,  19  11. 21

1104,  ReggaeFriday,  26  11. 21

Christina Yantzou & JAB  Empty Courtyard  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8hf-J9AFow