NORMAL LIFE: The Expelled

There’s a madman in our midst, but it’s not the type that is on the run, dodging from dark recess to another to pounce on his latest victim. Oh, no, this madman is very visible and doesn’t have a clue, or perhaps he just doesn’t care, about how actions affect others.

The location: our local swimming pool and the same thing happens every Sunday. Before and after our swim, we have a sauna, that great Finnish tradition I love. Well, I love it when I can withstand the heat, which is pretty much all the time. Except when the madman is in it.

The madman is a short guy, with patchy skin all over their body and an ignorant air about him. He must be about fifty years of age and practically lives at the pools for every time we go there, no matter what time of the day, he seems to be there too.

In the sauna, he literally takes possession of the pail of water, even if the pail is located in front of another person, and proceeds to steam the coals with endless ladlefuls of water. And when we does this, everyone leaves the sauna except himself which, by anyone’s book is rather selfish. Bree has even taken it upon himself to give the guy a piece of his mind in the past, but to no avail.

Today, it came to a head for, after our swim, we went to the reception together and made a formal complaint. The woman working there shook her head and told us that the guy has been doing this at many pools in Helsinki, but today he would be issued with a notice forbidding him entry in future. Apparently, the guy has mental problems.

My question is: if the guy doesn’t even remember earlier warnings and expulsions from other swimming pools, how will he remember the fact that he was being banned form this particular pool? I have a funny feeling that this isn’t over.