Pigeon Stretch

A complete stranger who is unnaturally bendy.

Today was my last day at school.  I didn’t even return to my desk but walked straight out of my last lesson over to my car and home. 

Soon the holidays will start.  Sun and sand whisper to me.

There was just one thing left to do.  I cycled over to my Pilates class.

Alice is a great teacher and she inspires confidence in me.  Confidence which is sometimes misplaced.

The roll-downs, cat stretches, c curves and leg folds were all fine.  Then Alice said temptingly,

“And this is my favourite stretch at the moment….”

We were all ears. 

“It’s called the pigeon stretch.  If you slide your foot forward and then bend your knee and then slide your other knee backwards…then see if you can bend your head to the ground…”

As we struggled to un-crochet our over-stretched bodies, I felt sort of limp and spongy.

“I’ve never seen a pigeon do anything like that, Alice.”

“You’re not the first of my clients to remark on that, Clare.”

Next, we were to do quite a basic stretch but I declared that I couldn’t.

“That’s funny,” said Alice, “Because you managed that pigeon stretch just now.”

But a couple of hours later as I sit at home I have to confess that I have done myself a mischief.  When the rest of the family go on their summer hols they will have to carry me in a hold-all like an enormous rag doll.

Is it possible that Alice had misheard?  Had somebody else been complaining about “That pigging stretch!”