As Obvious As One Would Have Hoped

Even then, it was not quite as obvious as One would have hoped. Although, Two thought it did seem straightforward and Four thought it was the best she’d ever seen. Three, as usual was off in amongst the trees doing something rather obscene with C… again, although, this time they’d had the courtesy to find some bushes to do it behind, so as not to frighten some of the more easily-perplexed of our local woodland creatures, some of whom have not quite got over the sight of C - in those boots - the last time.

One was still struggling to get her moped to start as Two got her yo-yo out and began practicing some of the more recondite moves associated with the device. Four got the sandwiches out and we sat down together for a quick picnic before any of the others realised I’d managed to bring a pork pie with me.

It seemed quiet, peaceful, there and after the sandwiches, Four lay with her head in my lap reading Blake whilst I told tales of my adventures with simultaneous equations to Two, who had already grown bored with the limited possibilities inherent in the mastery of the yo-yo and was now, she told me, thinking of either working in the city for her father’s firm or becoming a terrorist, both of which would require a new hairstyle though, and she was not sure if she could cope with that.

The peace was shattered then by a scream from C, followed by a dirty laugh from Three who ran out, stark naked, from behind the bushes holding what looked like C’s underwear held in a pair of tongs. She ran off down to the river and dived in, with C giving chase, even though he still wore the boots, which made sharp cornering, especially in waist-high bracken rather fraught with danger of him skidding uncontrollably into a silver birch.

I lay down then, still with Four’s head in my lap. I closed my eyes and wondered if a story could - without coming to any kind of conclusion, point or purpose - just end….