Carinae church

 The bombed out church had been converted to a shelter for old fat sixty and seventy year olds.
Some of them in reasonable health, others lepers who could hardly rise form the pew.
They lay there in the church chamber the entire eastern wall missing.
Letting the sun light up the place up as there was no candles.
I saw one of the younger of the lot unsuccessfully attempt to turn, cursing under his heaves.

Infact, Most of the old men were squirming having spent days lying on the pews.
Others had started up long conversations mostly nostalgic in nature.
The church might still collapse I worried as I stood on the outside, looking in.
A begger looked up from his sitting place on the street and told me he knew what I was thinking.
"You think the whole building will collapse, don't you?"

I said nothing to the begger as his face showed sadistic amusement.
Instead I looked on as another overweight man adjusted himself on the pew.
His skin blotchy and yellow his face contorted in pain.
The day was hot, there were no one to fan them anymore, and absolutely no wind.
So the lot of them lay in their states pouring with sweat.

Onlookers wouldn't stay long. The stench put them off it.
In one corner facing each other two of the oldest sat at a small table.
They were playing Ludus a perfect line of sun lighting up their board.
Satisfaction on their faces, they were not at all bothered by their surroundings.
I desperately wanted to reach out to know their secret.
But they were too entrenched in their game.