[Torchwatch]

Part 10
For the following three Sundays Roland led mountain bike rides from the settlement to Pelican Bay, each week two or three more lads would get hold of mountain bikes and join in, Jason managed to come on two of the rides but sat back in the group and let Roland lead. With more and more riders coming each week Roland and Alex didn't have a chance of another intimate moment but it was good to have eight people on the third event. The Outfitters soon brought in a supply of speedos in a variety of colours and plain black cycle shorts for those that needed them.
When the group got back to the village on the third Sunday they found posters had been put up outside the grocers and other places in town calling for a village meeting the next Friday in the boys school hall. The meeting was to be a protest against the development of the settlement into a camp site supporting the National Coastal Cycle Route. Jason, Roland, Alex and the other's decided that they had better attend the meeting.
On the evening of the meeting Roland dressed in his burgundy red shirt and a pair of blue jeans, the colours seemed to go well together. When he arrived at the meeting he found the other riders were also wearing their burgundy red shirts as well, except for Jason who was wearing a cream linen suit.
The chairman of the village council a former village policeman who had settled in the village after his retirement brought the meeting to order.
He introduced Mrs Cullen and said that her group on the village council had called for the meeting.
Mrs Cullen stood up and began by saying that something must be done to prevent the camp site development at the settlement. The chairman said that the village council had planning control over the village and the valley but as the settlement was on top of the hill it was outside their jurisdiction.
The chairman continued to say that the village council had been consulted and asked for support by the State Tourist Board but at Mrs Cullen's demand the village council had not replied. The village had their chance to oppose the camp site at the planning stage and had done nothing.
Mrs Cullen had not expected the chairman to oppose her and shoot down her demands and grew nasty. “What about this ?” she said producing a photograph, it was quite a good photograph, it showed Roland in his red Arena swim briefs with two other lads wearing brightly coloured speedos chasing him along the edge of the beach, the photograph made them look strong, young and happy, it reminded the viewers of the opening sequence of the film Chariots of Fire, it had been taken at Pelican Bay. “There nothing wrong with that.” a boy said from the hall, “That's me in the light blue speedos behind Roland in the picture. We had fun that day, riding our bikes to Pelican Bay was the best day out that I can remember.” The riders in the hall applauded him and many of the villagers joined in.
“But why did Mr Grubber buy those red swimming trunks for Rowland Druid ?” Mrs Cullen asked.
Jason Grubber rose to his feet to speak “I ordered Roland Druid a pair of swimming trunks because he needed them and couldn't buy them here, he said he liked red, and they are simply red.”
“I should have destroyed them when I had the chance.” said Mrs Cullen “That's what has caused all this trouble !”
The villagers all started talking at once among themselves but the chairman brought the meeting to order, “Mrs Cullen, as post mistress you realise that it is a criminal offence to interfere with the mail?” he said.
With anger burning in her eyes Mrs Cullen replied “ We had to check the mail during the civil war to look for bombs. Those boys can't wear bright colours, they'll be shot by the snipers in the hills.”
“Mrs Cullen” the chairman said, “The civil war has been over for years, we've had peace and reconciliation, now we are all one rainbow nation. There's no guerillas and snipers in the hills any more, it's time that our young people go up there, explore and have fun.”
Mrs Cullen gave the chairman and Jason Grubber long hateful glances and left the hall, order broke down as different groups weren't sure what to do or say, and the chairman rather than trying to bring the meeting back together left it to drift apart, but there had been no vote of action against development of the camp site at the settlement.
Roland and Jason Grubber walked home together as the meeting dispersed, “I have another parcel for you.” said Jason, handing Roland a small package that had not been opened. Rowland tore open the seal and pulled out a pair of swim briefs. They were smaller than his Arenas, they seemed only an inch wide at the sides, at the front their was a pouch and at the ream a mesh seam to let the water out. They seemed very low cut and colourful, the front and back were red, the sides white and there was a flash of blue under the pouch. They had the word “SEOBEAN” printed across the front.
Roland just couldn't wait to get home, try them on and see how they fitted on him in the mirror, he was barely listening to Jason when he said “ I want to thank you for everything you've done, you've made everything possible here for the cycle route and the camp site. By the time the camp site opens you'll have finished your apprenticeship, we'd like you to run the cycle hire shop at the camp site, you'll be maintaining all the bikes, taking visitors on guided walks and rides, and carrying out in-house maintenance on the camp site. It should be more interesting than working in the plant.”
“Yeah, sure.“ said Roland, but his mind was already full of thoughts of the red Seobeans.