“Pole vaulting.” He earned a laugh from the group before he went on, “I usually go with the Frisbee toss and then play in the tug-of-war competition, if you’d care to join in. It’s not mud, though, but sort of a chocolate pudding. I think they’re afraid of the bacteria withmud.”
“But at the end, we all do the mile Nordic walk, which is kind of a race, but like with the flag football, no running or you getdisqualified.”
“I don’t know,” Wes said. “I’ll have to look up the activities and see what I could do. Certainly can’t do some sports like I usedto.”
“None of us are doing it like we used to, but that’s not what it’s about,” Frances explained. “It’s a great way to talk to the other residents, a major social thing. Except for me, and then it’s an I’m-gonna-kick-Bernice’s-ass kind of thing.” She laughed at her own insult, and Art added, “It’s all in good fun. And the following night we have a dance tocelebrate.”
“We’d probably have it the same night if everyone didn’t get so damn tired after the day,” Tony joked, though there was a lot of truth in hiswords.
“Check out the website, and just consider what you want to do,” Art said. “We have some time before trainingbegins.”
“Training?”
“Welcome to the Fabulous Five!” Frances exclaimed with so much enthusiasm that it took Wes bysurprise.
“I hope you know what you just signed up for,” Artsaid.
“Well, only if I can find something todo…”
“Oh, come on,” Frances added. “You have at least a month before registration. Plenty of time to figure out what sports you want to competein.”
“And like you said, it’s just forfun.”
Frances laughed in that way he was growing accustomed to before her expression turned serious again, and she said, “Really, we are dangerously serious about this. Are you in? We have a blood oath and then sacrifice a baby lamb before trainingstarts.”
Wes was enjoying her joke when Art leaned toward him and said, “She’s serious about the blood oath.” Wes could tell there wasn’t a trace of humor in histone.
“Um…”
“I’m teasing!” Art said, playfully pushing at Wes’s shoulder as everyone had their final laugh at hisexpense.
