No Show

At 5.30pm Al arrived at Jon's, having made a special effort to get there early, leaving to beat the traffic. After a lengthy period of illness Al was mad keen to get out on his bike again. Sadly only Jon could make it but he seemed keen to host the week's ride from his place.

By 6.00pm Al began to get aggitated; like a horse champing at the bit: He knew that this was too early to expect Jon home from work and the darkened house confirmed his theory. Al upacked his bike, made a few adjustments and waited in his car. He had already programmed all the numbers in his old phone into the new phone and listened to four episodes of The Archers on his iPod.

As 6.30pm passed Al began to worry - had Jon been caught in an accident? He turned the local radio station on but there were no report of traffic problems on the A27. Al rang Jon on his mobile, then on his work number, and finally on his home phone number with his ear to the door listening for signs of life. A disgrunted cat stared back at him form the cold, dark living room window sill.

At 7.00pm Al gave up and went to Sainsbury's where it would at least be warm. He bought a few bits and bobs and went back to Jon's, sipping a bottle of isotonic sports drink (he had not yet lost ALL hope of a ride).

At 7.30pm Al, anxious and worried, gave up and turned for home, poking a handwritten message through Jon's door before he left.

At 7.40pm Al's phone went: Jon had "inadventedly", "by mistake", gone to a bike spinning class at the gym "forgetting" that it was TCA night. After such a blatant breach of regulations Jon feared that his TCA membership is at risk of being revoked on several accounts.

At 8.00pm Al settled down with a fish-finger sandwich and a beer in front of the footie with Tee. At least the food would be palatable on one of 'Jon's nights'...

(Posted by: Al)