Day 4 Nantgarw and Caerphilly

Yummy icecream afterwards

 Nicholas has never been 10-pin bowling!

What a deprived childhood he has suffered!

What sort of father am I?!

I think today is the day to rectify this miscarriage of neglect.

Nantgarw’s Bowl-plex is the place for us. The 21 lane bowling complex is situated among the showcase movie multiplex, Freddie and Benny’s heart attack joint, and next to the ASDA ‘Walmart delight’.

Three games for $6.50 each, a real bargain. As we get ourselves ready a memory of mine flashes through my mind.

I must have been about 12 or 13. One weekend I spent with my and dad we decided to go bowling. Just the three of us. We had our games together, I don’t recall the score but I think it safe to say I’d lost. The punishment was being the one who had to get out of the car when we got the Chinese takeaway, dash across the car park, through the pouring rain and order.

So I’ve ordered sweet and sour chicken for my sister and me. My dad has his usual “Beef curry, fried rice and chicken and mushroom soup”.

I’m sitting in the waiting area. Its only supposed to be 10 minutes, but I swear it feels twice that and I’m starting to get bored. I look around, I see the other customers, I puff out my cheeks. I look at the ground, at my shoes. I look around again. Now back to my shoes… wait, they’re not my shoes, they’re my bowling shoes!

I’ve left my trainers at the bowling alley!

So I’ve shared this story with Nicholas and Nan. We laugh and play our games.

About an hour later; after we’ve each won a game. Left Driven to, parked at, then circumnavigated Caerphilly castle on foot. We’re finally taking a breather, sitting on the wall. I start to recount the story again, the bowling, the Chinese food and Nan looks at me  I’ve lost the plot. And Nicholas’ brain is screaming at him that he knows the story and bursting to tell us the punch line. So I say:

“So I look down, and what do I see on my feet?”

“BOWLING SHOES!” shouts Nicholas with great delight.

“That’s right,” I say and their eyes follow mine down to the ground, to Nan’s feet… to Nan’s bowling shoes.