My attention was suddenly diverted away from Daddy Phil when a frantic looking and winded Meek came skidding to a stop on the wet concrete floor after running into the changing room. He positioned himself near the middle of the room and bent over. With hands on knees he panted for air as he quickly scanned the room.
“Oh, there you are!” Meek wheezed when he spotted me. He crossed over to where I was sitting, still wearing nothing more than the towel.
“You alright?” I asked him.
“Me?” he grunted with mild shock, “Someone told me you nearly drowned.”
“Drowned?” I laughed half amused, “I only choked on a little water is all.”
Meek stood erect, sucked in a deep breath and punched a fist into his other hand. He groaned out the words through clenched teeth, “I am going to pound Sheller.”
“Who’s Sheller?” Joey asked.
“My lil’ dweeb of a cousin.” Meek churned while looking toward the doorway he’d only just entered through.
Meek then turned back to me and asked again, “So you are okay for real?”
“Yeah,” I answered with a mild gesticulation.
“Little Gitt had me believing you were bad off. He even said that you lost your trunks and dia…” he stopped before finishing the word. He had seen me wince at even the near mentioning of that word. “Sorry,” he said and continued, “that just slipped out. I mean the, ‘You know what’.”
“Yeah, his diaper exploded all over the pool!” Joey said totally missing the whole idea that I didn’t want that word blabbed out. I think I must have turned volcano red!
“Oh,” Meek purred, showing the same signs of discomfort that I was feeling.
“Uh, is he your little brother?” Meek asked gesturing to Joey.
“Nah, Joey is my best friend, but we are almost like brothers.” I said and Joey seemed to glow at this distinction.
I didn’t notice Daddy Phil come back over until he was right there with us. He was holding his own clothes but that was it.
“What?” I asked when I saw how upset he looked.
“They seem to have misplaced your clothing!” he said and I could feel the fire inside of him as he spoke.
What he had said didn’t register right away. Actually Joey and Meek got it before I did.
“We don’t got no clothes?” Joey asked almost sounding glad of that fact.
“They lost someone else’s clothes again?” Meek barked in disbelief.
Daddy Phil looked at Meek as if to say, “Who are you?” but he didn’t actually say anything.
“Daddy, this is my new friend Meek. He’s a surfer like me.” I said.
“Ah yes, I saw you two surfing together today.” Daddy Phil said while extending his hand to shake Meeks.
“Nice to meet you Mr. Holloway.” Meek said politely.
“No—no!” I quickly interjected, “He’s not my real dad. I just call him daddy.”
Still shaking his hand Daddy Phil said, “I am Joey’s dad.
“Oh ok, now I get it!” Meek said with a grin.
“So you said they have lost other peoples clothing?” Daddy Phil asked.
“Yeah they totally lost Peppers’… I mean my friends clothes last month.” Meek said.
“Wait,” I said finally realizing what we were talking about, “I don’t have anything to wear home? I can’t go home naked!”
“Don’t be silly!” Daddy Phil said in a fatherly tone, “The attendant is getting the manager now. I am sure he’ll find your things.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it.” Meek said and I don’t think he even knew that he had said anything at first.
All three of us looked at him concernedly.
“I mean, they didn’t find my friends stuff. Instead they gave his mom a check to go buy him some new clothes.”
Suddenly I became very concerned of the fact that all I had to wear was a towel. The idea of going shopping for clothing while wrapped in a towel when the weather was still not all that warm was not very appealing.