ohb

some stories do have an end or at least a temporary conclusion and in our next instalment we may actually include some present day references

The reason I ventured into tales of the security guard was because he was in the office that night, watching a film and must've thought we were the biggest pack of weirdoes. Four guys, two of them married, and little old me. Raising toasts to beat the band. ( I wish they were as fond of the bread variety as they are of the speech type.) They will toast anything but yet there is a specific order. I have still to perfect it but I think love is third, not that it makes much difference to me.
Of course, it had to happen, though we didn't actually drink that much (seriously), Max was a little the worse for wear before long and before much longer he was a 'little the worse for wear' all over the floor. He doesn't usually drink at all, which I have no problem with as long as it is a personal decision, but in Max's case as far as I can see it was more a decision that was made for him by Volodya. Volodya(1) is quite a complex character and I was very good friends with him for a while but he is a bit finicky, well actually I don't know what would be the correct word for him but perhaps it's that, if that can be applied to his emotional state rather than his appetite.
Volodya(1) and Max were and are to an extent very close but it is a very strange and at times strained relationship. I think that perhaps Volodya(1) undertook the role of mentor to Max and though it is no longer necessary it is difficult to reassign roles or positions once they have been assumed or imposed. If you didn't know how homophobic they both are you would presume they were gay, but then again perhaps 'the lady doth protest too much'
Amidst the smoke generated by four non-smokers, Max fell asleep, Volodya(2) started to nod off also, though he was in the middle of playing a game of 'corners' with me. A chess board appeared in work last week and though I'm eager to play, the word is that Igor is a 'master' and I think they mean that in the 'chess' sense of the word, so 'corners' is as far as I've got.
Let the easy and incredibly childish games begin...Igor and I decided that it would be an absolute waste to be surrounded by markers and two sleeping colleagues and not introduce them to each other. I think it could be counted amongst the funniest few minutes I have passed in this country. I left poor Volodya with an" I love Igor forever" tattoo on his hand, Igor had already adorned him with a beard that was somewhere between a cat and a wizened old man. He sniffed a few times as we prowled around him, willing him not to wake up and yet half hoping he would, just to see his reaction. And so, when the giddiness had subsided and the tiredness was spreading I decided to go home, but the lads reckoned it would be too difficult to get a taxi and it would be better to catch a few hours sleep in the school and then get one of the early buses home in the morning.
It seemed to make sense at the time, and though I knew the school was closed the next day I had visions of students arriving in to find me curled up on one of the benches. I walked past the security guard on my way to claim my room, I really don't know what must have been running through his head, I had wanted to give him some chocolates at one stage but the lads wouldn't let me. And so the last few hours of the night passed, I awoke once or twice to the pleasant sound of Max retching, staying awake just long enough to make sure he was still ok and slunk out into the daylight at about a quarter past eight, after having to ask Mr. Jeans to open the door for me.

posted by orlagh @ 7:02 am