Tides & Trysts by Philip Kirby

Author:Philip Kirby
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-04-05T13:21:48+00:00

Chapter 34

Frat House Failure

The house is all booked up. We recruited from the swim team three members that appeared compatible, that is, like us, friendly yet solitary in nature. Dom was an asset in maintaining law and order, not that we were a rowdy bunch by nature, more like steam needed to be released from the boiler now and then and he, Dom, controlled the pressure valve.

Beak, Rudder and I had become very adept at leaning on our shovels talking having watched municipal workers doing the same, the only thing we were missing was a hole in the ground to stare into. Today’s discussion centered on joining a fraternity. I’m not much of a joiner and prefer to live free from anyone else’s rules and regulations whenever possible.

“I’m happy with this setup, this feels like how a fraternity might feel only on a smaller scale,” I said.

“We could start our own,” was Rudder’s solution.

“Can we do that?” asked Beak.

Rudder’s answer was, “Sure, my brother started his own with a bunch of guys, just made up a name that sounded Greek and that was it. There’s no affiliation with the school but I don’t think anyone cares.”

“Let’s do it,’ Beak all enthused, “what shall we call it?”

“Alpha something.”

“Alpha Holic.”

“Alpha Beta, no, wait, I think that’s been taken.”

“Alpha Barfa.”

“Let’s go for something clever or unique instead of disgusting, how about a tribute to the Fig Baron?”

“Like what?”

“Like Alpha Figa.”

“I’m in, I’m in.”

“We’re all in. Alpha Figa, Alpha Figa, who’s better?”

“Damn few!”

Right off the bat, Beak was spending all of the money, which wasn’t much, that Rudder and Dom made at the weekend Farmer’s Market by proposing sweatshirts with logos, charity events, (charity begins at home he reminded us) like toga parties for those not invited to the elitist events and keg parties for the thirsty. The logo, he stated, was to be a fig with a bite taken out of it with no apologies to Apple.

Our first party was a prototype of what we wanted; small, controlled and sane. Not typical but definitely our style so besides the six boarders, seven counting Dom, we invited Angelica, Bella and Dwayne.

“We need to change the name of the fraternity to Alpha Floppa,” grumbled Beak.

The party was a disaster. Dom, if he wasn’t putzing around the kitchen, was traveling to or from it. Angelica had the get-outa-heres 10 minutes in. The three new boarders had trouble washing down the hors d’oeuvres with the stale, flat, lukewarm keg of beer. The love birds pecked and poked the snacks but seemed devoid of their normal flit and flutter, tweets and twitter. Although it was disappointing, we should not have been surprised, everyone was true to character but Dwayne and Bella seemed more quiet than normal.

“Trouble in paradise, Q,” the Professor sadly stated. It was a chance meeting in the cafeteria a few days after the party that has us seated together at a small table. “It all started with the purchase of a new dress. Bella came in one night and said she saved us $40.

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