Fran rarely got to wash bath towels because Max did not think that such materials were worthy of being washed by Fran. And, even when Fran did wash a bath towel or two she found them quite boring with little to gossip about. This was hardly surprising because, as Fran understood it, they got to dry someone once a day after a shower or bath which people seemed to do alone. They thus overheard little conversation or witnessed much action. Apart from that, bath towels spent the remainder of their time just hanging around on some hook or rack getting dry. But one morning Fran was in for a surprise! A customer named Trevor walked into the laundromat with washing instead of – as usual – his wife.
Max:
“Hello Trevor! How is your wife?”
Trevor:
“She is fine. She has gone to see her sick mother for a few days”.
Max:
“You must miss her?”
Trevor:
“Yes. But she will soon return and we can continue our happy life together.”
Max:
“Is there anything in the washing that needs special care?”
Trevor laughed:
“They are just bath towels. They are only ever used by me and my wife. Nothing interesting there. No need for special treatment.”
Max to Fran after Trevor had left:
“I think that you can wash these towels today Fran. A special wash for Trevor and his wife. I wish that I had a wife. I have even heard that some men shower together with their wives. I think that I would like that.”
“Just bath towels”, Fran thought to herself as she began the wash and decided not to try and engage in conversation. But, Fran could not resist it when she heard the towels start talking to each other.
One of the towels to the other:
“Did you hear what Trevor said! Only ever used by him and his wife!”
Fran:
“Is your bathroom nice? I know so little about bathrooms because I rarely get to wash towels.”
Second towel:
“It is nice. I am used by Trevor’s wife, but she has gone to see her sick mother for a few days. Trevor was really happy. He brought a strange woman to our bathroom and they had sex in the shower.”
First towel:
“That was a new experience for us. But, what they talked about was even more interesting. Trevor that his wife would not be coming back because he had done something to ‘brakes on the car’ and she would die. We don’t know what ‘brakes on the car’ means, but it did not sound good.”
Fran:
“I know! I get to wash all sorts of clothes from all sorts of people who are Max’s favorite customers. Trevor wants his wife to be killed in a car crash.”
The towels were quite for a moment, before the towel used by Trevor’s wife said:
“It sounds like I will be drying the new strange woman everyday. Anyway, I don’t care. I only want that she hangs me to dry on a rack instead of a hook. Hooks hurt too much”.
“Bath towels are so unsentimental”, thought Fran as she concluded the wash. After the towels had been in a dryer. Max took the towels out of Fran and put them in a dryer. After they were dry, Max put them in a bag with a “Trevor Clever” name tag on it. But, Trevor did not come when expected. It was only a week later that a policeman came to the laundromat and asked Max some questions about Trevor Clever’s wife and any washing that she had left there.
Policeman to Max:
“She died in a car crash when its brakes failed.”
The policeman looked inside the washing bag and said:
“Only towels! No story here.”
Max:
“Trevor must be very sad.”
Policeman:
“Maybe. But he will be even more sad when I am finished with him”.