We were talking about matters cosmological, the metaphysics of subjective and objective reality as pertaining to communications with the other side. Suddenly I was hit in the chest and thoroughly saturated. To say that I was surprised was an understatement. Even the word shock might be short of the truth. I gasped for breath and wondered what had happened.
Was that laughter I heard, laughing at me? I turned and saw a kid, he must have been all of ten or eleven. He pointed at me and laughed. In his other hand was a wobbly balloon. It suddenly occurred to me that the balloon was wobbly because it was full of water which meant two things; it was a water bomb and I'd been bombed. Not only was my chest cold, but water dripped down my trouser legs most uncomfortably.
"How dare you laugh at my misfortune?" I shouted at the child.
"Just look at my lovely paisley shirt and hound's tooth flares- ruined, absolutely ruined! You should apologize, not laugh!" I had just finished upbraiding him when suddenly he very deliberately took aim and threw the water bomb at me. I was very angry, I wanted to grab him and deliver a few rabbit killer punches to the back of his neck. When Caecillia saw me begin to run she caught my arm and admonished me.
"He's only a boy, leave him alone," she said.
"But look at what he's done to my best clothes!" I responded. Then I had a thought. She had laughed at me too. Suddenly I had doubts about her judgment and set off after the boy. Fortunately he'd stopped to leer at me and though it had been a while since I had run I was certain I would catch him. Caecillia grabbed my arm again.
"For heaven's sake," she said, "Your clothes are only wet, they're not ruined." But I was firm in my resolve.
"Let go of me!" I said as I set off. But Caecillia didn't let go and I heard the tearing of fabric. One only wears one's best for Valentine's Day. I looked down and saw that my good paisley shirt had been ripped, it now hung from me and appeared to be irreparable.
"Look at what you've done," I shouted, "My good paisley shirt, my best shirt, you've ruined it!" Caecillia laughed which was most unfortunate. I held the shreds of my shirt out for her to see and her laughter increased!
"Frank!" she said, trying to find extra lung capacity so she could talk as well as laugh, "that shirt must be more than thirty years old!" and she laughed even more. Then she reached up, took hold of the shirt and pulled. There I was, in no time at all, almost naked. Caecillia continued to laugh as she dropped my perfectly destroyed paisley shirt on the ground. I looked up and there was the skinny little blighter who'd started all of this, he sat on his haunches and laughed.
"I'll get you!" I shouted! I felt a very deep, dark need to catch him and deliver a few solid, rabbit killer punches to the back of his scrawny little neck. I knew all the moves; I hadn't been a peace protestor for nothing. But Caecillia grabbed my singlet. I moved her to the side so I could get to the little demon and not knock her down when I heard a rip. Caecillia didn't let go. She gave my singlet a pull and my shoulders were exposed, another pull and she'd ripped it off me entirely.
"And how old was your singlet, Frank?" she shouted at me and started to laugh again. I had never been naked in public before and certainly I'd never been humiliated for being naked in public before. Most definitely not on Valentine's Day. The little urchin stood there, pointed at me and laughed at my misfortune. I looked at Caecillia and bellowed.
"I must attend to business," and I grasped her by her hips to move her aside so I could get a decent run at the culprit.
"Frank! Stop it Frank!" Caecillia shouted at me. But I had resolved to get him. A few very solid rabbit killer punches to the back of his dirty little neck would teach him a lesson. I started to run but was very slow. I heard a ripping sound and looked behind me. Caecillia's hand held the back of my flares.
I tried to brush her hand away but her hold was firm. I thought that if I really started to run she would have to let go. So, I started to run and the ripping sound was rapid. Somehow, the thread that had once so beautifully held my hound's tooth flares together was now failing and in no time at all I felt very naked. The only part of my flare's seams that held together was at their cuffs. As I ran Caecillia maintained her hold and my trajectory went from vertical to horizontal. I was beginning to think Valentine's Day was ruined.
The little whipper snapper was still there, he lay on the footpath and rolled around laughing. I checked my knees; there was no blood though I knew one had been scrapped. I was most unhappy. This was no way to celebrate Valentine's Day. The little rascal still rolled on the footpath and laughed at me. Caecillia could see my intent to administer justice.
"Perhaps this will stop you!" she shouted at me and I felt her hand grab my Y front underpants, they're so difficult to find now, and she gave one small tug. The little upstart laughed even more. I was now in my shoes and socks and my peace medal hung around my neck. Both Caecillia and the little ragamuffin laughed at me with uncontrollable fits of laughter that wobbled their bellies and made their faces red.
"When did you last shop for clothes, Frank? In nineteen sixty eight?" Caecillia could barely speak, tears rolled down her face and she had trouble standing. She moved around trying to keep her balance. I simply refused to answer. Things had progressed to being beyond my control.
"Fucking hell!" I shouted. My despair must now have been evident.
"No Frank, not hell, me Frank! Didn't we come here for a dirty, Valentine's Day weekend? Wasn't it me you were going to fuck?" I looked at her.
"And what happened, Frank? You couldn't get it up! So, instead you talked until half past three in the morning about the genetic variations of chooks! Now, here we are, in a public place, and you have a huge erection for everyone to see!" I looked down and there was Old Henry. He tilted at the air in all his brobdingnagian majesty. I was beginning to think Valentine's Day was saved.
It became immediately apparent that a change of plan was required. We had to get back to the hotel room urgently. There was only one small problem. In this small ally way I'd been fortunate, only one other person was here, the devilish little miscreant. The curve of the allyway meant that no one could see us from the main street. But, it was necessary that we venture onto the main street where lots of people milled around. There was only one question.
"How?"