Churros And Crumbed Prawns

Arthur drives the Ute down Main Street to a Caltex Service Station and pulls up beside a pump.

A police car drifts by slowly.

Arthur rethinks his preferred plan.

He pumps exactly fifty dollars worth of petrol, and goes inside to pay.

Good day, says the petrol station owner. Fifty dollars. Want to buy some sweets?

No thanks, says Arthur.

The police car drifts slowly by again.

Arthur thinks it might be good to leave the Ute exactly where it is. Well, not exactly. He jumps in and moves it into the shade of a casuarina. Then he goes around the back to get his bike.

He is about to lift his bicycle out of the Ute when he has a better idea.

He lifts the Platonic Ideal out instead.

What a beauty she is. He will take her for a spin, why shouldn't he. Schopenhauer owes him fifty dollars.

He rides down to Long Beach. It isn't far.

He sits on a low stone wall and looks out over Guichen Bay.

Arthur's tummy rumbles. It is lunch time. He could be eating lobster.

The thought of eating lobster reminds him of his ex team mate Ageless Lobster, whom he could never think of eating.

He wonders whether Gaius feels the same.

Two surfers leave the water, surfboards dripping.

Cool bike, says one to Arthur. What's the story?

Custom built, says Arthur. It's a Platonic Ideal.

Wicked, says the second surfer. Treadly Bike Shop in Adelaide?

That's the one, says Arthur. Want to try it?

We're wet, says the first surfer. Maybe after lunch. We're getting churros.

Sure, says Arthur. I'll be here.

The surfers go off to get churros. Fifteen minutes later they come back.

Saved you some, says the first surfer. You know, you look familiar.

Arthur, says Arthur, taking a limp churro.

Hey Arthur, says the first surfer. I'm Matzo, and this is Fling.

Who's going first? says Arthur.

He can, says Fling. Then me. And after, we're going back in the water. Wanna come?

The afternoon looks promising.

Arthur wants to come.

.......

The Caledonian Inn. Ray, Gaius and Schopenhauer are sitting at an outdoor table overlooking Guichen Bay.

Pity about the lobster, says Ray. I do like lobster.

You would think, says Gaius, that lobster would be on the menu here.

They start upon their Seafood Platters.

Out of curiosity, Gaius pulls apart a thick crumbed prawn.

Arthur's been a long time, says Ray. I wonder what he's doing.

Don't worry, says Gaius. He's a boy you can rely on.

To disappear, says Ray.

Speaking of which, says Gaius. This is only half a prawn. Outrageous!

Schopenhauer is not outraged however. He is a crumbed-prawn-half-full sort of person. At least since he has been on holiday, and since he has met Arthur.

Schopenhauer gazes out across the pristine waters of sparkling Guichen Bay, and sees three surfers in the distance.

And thinks he's not too old to learn to surf.