Teenage takeover

Every weekend Yr Fthfl Srvnt tries to hit the Canandaigua YMCA swimming-pool at least one day if not both.
It’s part of my continued attempt to improve my balance, which can be dreadful. I do aquatic therapy two hours per week — it’s a class. I usually show up maybe a half-hour early, and often stay 15 minutes after class. Such time is on-my-own, as are my weekend visits.
Quite often my good friend **** ******** is there, as she was today (Sunday, February 11th). **** was a co-leader of the grief-share I attended after my wife died.
So there we were sloshing around in the deep-end. I try to not bother ****, but we often talk.
“I feel like I’m gonna bite somebody’s head off,” **** said. The pool was awash with noisy teenagers — total disregard for diplomacy and tact. “Whatever happened to peace-and-quiet?” **** asked.
“Yeah, usually we have this pool to ourselves on Sunday morning. Only *****-not-the-lifeguard swimming laps. I come here planning to crank an hour,” I said; “but this time I can’t. The racket is unbearable. That and teenagers gayly crashing into me.”
45 minutes was all I could stand.
“I been coming here since 2000, and it’s never been like this,” **** said.
“See ya later alligator,” I said as I climbed out.
“After while crocodile,” **** said.
“This place is a zoo,” I said to a lifeguard as I departed. “I don’t know how you guys can stand it.”

• My beloved wife died of cancer April 17th, 2012. I miss her immensely. Best friend I ever had, and after my childhood I sure needed one. She actually liked me.