Last Game Of Tennis, Ever

I’m in car, so naturally its sunny today, but a lunchtime shopping trip is called for. I need to get some lunch supplies for work and I also need to restock the all you can eat buffet for our resident plague of locusts at home.

The council have cut L’s swimming options to two days a week from the five it was by opting to close the pool at 8.30am on the other three days. Today, is one of the days it stays open longer, I joke to L that it’ll probably be shut and it is! Technical problems they say, so shut, full stop. Good job she’s not a future Olympian in training.

It's Tuesday, tennis night, and there’s an unidentified bright round yellow thing hovering outside my office window. Does anybody have an explanation for this please? The truth is out there. Somewhere. Perhaps I should report it to the authorities.



Half an hour later, it’s still there, I even have to close the blinds. I best book a court for tonight then, which of course will cause it to scurry away...

Booked. Looks like rain now.

The game doesn’t start terribly well but then it’s been so long since we played, both of us struggle to remember how to play the game. It’s the one where the object of the game is to keep the ball off that square thing in the middle, isn’t it? Similar to squash, where you have to hit the ball against the back of the court. Although it doesn't bounce back as well off the fencing as it does off the wall in squash.

By the time L turns up to say ‘hi’ on her way home from the gym I am 4-1 down in the first set. She must be my lucky charm because from there I win four games in a row to turn that set around, eventually winning it on a tie break. My opponent sulks his way through the second set and I take that with ease. I won’t admit it was classy tennis but I have mastered getting the ball right into the corners at the back of the court, keeping him penned back and making him run around a lot, then I just wait for him to make a mistake. It’s probably like watching paint dry but it works.

Afterwards I’m told that’s our last game of tennis, ever, he’s retiring now, it’s back to squash next week apparently. Just as I was beginning to enjoy it.