The Fifteen Minute Novel is a novel written fifteen minutes at a time with each week day’s section starting with the sentence from the previous day. At least it is attempting to be a novel. For now I am just aiming at one continuous story, worked on for fifteen minutes each day. Started Friday January 1st, 2021 (in case you want to search for the beginning. I can’t wait to see where it ends up. It could be good, or it could be a mess. We’ll have to see. For now, here is today’s fifteen minutes.
Day 169: Membership was not cheap.
Membership was not cheap. After seeing the amenities, he doubted it would be. The price gave him a moment’s pause, not because he couldn’t afford it, but because it might be a tie to his old life. In hs world exclusive clubs were the norm. Would this point him out as other?
James did the numbers in his head. He could afford membership on his salary. It would be considered an indulgence, but it was affordable. Without children or many other expenses, he could consider it a treat to himself.
‘Especially as it is the only one with a pool and the access I want,’ James thought.
He skimmed over the website again. While pricy, the membership wasn’t exclusive. If you could afford to pay and were willing to pay the membership fees then you could join. The application was just that, a membership application.
‘And the only thing they review is the credit card and its ability to be accepted.’
Still James hesitated over the application. Instead he saw a paragraph inviting potential members to schedule a tour prior to joining. “Perhaps that would be a better option,” James decided.
He noticed there was an e-mail address as well as the number for the front desk. Deciding that the front desk might not be open but not in a position to add things to the schedule, James opted for the e-mail. As he moved to click on the e-mail to send a message requesting a tour, James realized he no longer had an e-mail address. It was taken from him along with every other bit of personal contact information.
James shook his head, opened a new window on his laptop and navigated to a free e-mail service. He set up an e-mail account and then went back to the gym page. Determined now, he clicked on the e-mail link and sent an e-mail requesting a time for a tour. He mentioned his work hours and that he would be willing to consider a tour anytime that wasn’t in his work hours and he mentioned that he was interested predominantly in the pool. After a brief hesitation, James added – ‘While it has been a while since I even dipped a toe into a pool, once I started my mornings with a few laps each day. I would like to ease myself back into that routine if at all possible.’
Satisfied that he gave any potential club tour guides a basic understanding of his interest, James sent the e-mail winging through the ether into their mailbox. As the message was sent he frowned at the thought. Was that really what he wanted? To go back to doing the laps that he did when younger? Wasn’t he looking for a way forward into a new life? Or at least just a way to escape happy hour?
James stared at the screen. For a second he thought about sending a ‘please ignore my e-mail’ message, but stopped himself. He realized that he actually meant what he said. He had no illusions about returning to his former life or even taking his body back to the glories of his youth. But he realized he did miss the swimming and wouldn’t mind indulging in it a little more often if nothing else.
‘Maybe it’s a look back before moving forward sort of thing,’ James decided.
Ten til Midnight 