Beach Tent

Copyright oggbashan September 2022

The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.

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Up until five years ago my wife Ruth and I used to take off at random if the weather appeared good and go camping.

We had a small quality tent. It would survive any English weather. We just put in the car with our sleeping bags and would set off to drive a hundred miles or more to a larger camp site with facilities. We would have breakfast and evening meals in the club house and usually lunches at a variety of stately homes.

But then Ruth developed rheumatism and gradually became more disabled. She couldn't crawl into our small tent and after a year needed a wheelchair most of the time. But she still wanted to go camping.

A local camping store was closing down. I bought a large square tent, and many other pieces of equipment including a portable toilet that was mounted on a frame for use by the disabled. I had to buy a larger car to fit Ruth and her wheelchair inside, and eventually her pavement buggy.

We continued camping but it was not as spontaneous as it had been because of all the equipment. Three years ago Ruth had a stroke and died.

The two of us had been committee members of our Pensioners group and I still was. To some extent helping to run the group was keeping me active and not regretting what I had lost with Ruth.

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The forecast for next week was very hot and sunny and the committee decided to go a local beach about ten miles away. But near the car park could be very crowded and busy and we wanted a bit more peace and quiet. If we went East about five hundred yards or even a half mile we would almost have a private beach but the toilets, ice cream sales etc were by the car park. I agreed, if Bob would help, to take my tent and equipment. I had a folding four-wheeled trolley but I would have to make at least two trips with it fully loaded.

After the first load, Bob and his widowed sister-in-law Marjorie starred to erect the tent. They had nearly finished when I returned. The tent is twelve feet square with a central pole. The back half is curtained off into two compartments. One would be the changing room, the other the toilet and washing area.

In front, there was a large canopy with side curtains. We fitted the curtain on the West side, using more pegs than usual because there was a stiff north-Westerly breeze. Even inside the tent, it was still hot. The women changed first, and then the men before they all went into the sea. Most had brought cool boxes with sandwiches and thermos flasks of coffee but I had a gas two-burner cooker and grill set up under the canopy.

I sat down on my folding chair in the shade of the canopy with a cold Coca-Cola and watched. Despite their ages, many of the women still had attractive bodies even if they had been unwilling to exhibit themselves by the car park where the crowds were.

After about an hour people had stopped bathing and were having lunch. My cooker was being used only to make tea and coffee but I didn't mind. It was great to see so many of my friends enjoying themselves.

An hour after lunch most people were back in the sea. I sat under the shade of the canopy and watched. About three o'clock Marjorie came back and used a towel to dry her hair. She sat on the ground beside me.

"Why aren't you swimming, Harry?" Marjorie asked.

"The sun is too strong for me," I replied. "I used to have ginger hair and I burn easily' Perhaps later about six..."

"Don't you have sun cream?"

"Yes, Factor 50, but I'm no longer flexible enough to apply it everywhere, and it washes off in the sea, so I still have to be careful."

"I could apply it for you...."

I looked at Marjorie. Up to now I had just thought of her as Bob's sister-in-law, a pleasant acquaintance but nothing more.

"Later, perhaps. Say about six o'clock when the sun isn't so hot."

Marjorie stayed beside me for the rest of the afternoon. We talked about anything and everything and provided cups of tea and coffee for those who wanted them. We were enjoying each other's company and just relaxing.

About five o'clock Marjorie got me to lie down on a blanket while she applied sun cream. I was almost purring as she stroked gently. This was the most sexual contact I had had with a woman since Ruth. I think Marjorie was deliberately making it more erotic than it needed to be. When she had finished I stood up and looked outside the tent.

There was a black cloud to the north and the wind had increased. Despite the forecast It looked as if rain was coming. About five thirty Maureen and I went for a swim, watching the sky. By six, I had had enough and retreated to the tent to dry myself and change. Maureen joined me about ten minutes later.

I could see the rain lashing the sea about a mile away. Maureen and I put the curtain on the north side, leaving the East side open. I pegged it down hard and went around the tent checking all the pegs.

I had just finished and was inside the tent when the rain arrived, a torrential downpour. All the pensioners crowded into the tent. I was pleased that it was a proper tent, not a beach shelter. No rain would penetrate. But the rain continued for over an hour. We had two umbrellas which were used to get more umbrellas from the parked cars. By about seven thirty, Bob, Marjorie, and I were the only ones left as the rain continued.

"Blast!" I said.

"Why, Harry?" Marjorie asked.

"The rain appears to be going on. The tent is wet and I haven't got anywhere to dry it."

"It is forecast to stop about midnight and will be dry and sunny tomorrow, Harry. You could leave the tent up."

"But someone might steal it, Marjorie."

"Not if we spend the night in it. You have sleeping bags. We could get a takeway meal this evening, and breakfast cereal from the convenience store..."

"Won't that compromise you?"

"Am I worried?"

Bob and Marjorie went off under an umbrella, returning about three-quarters of an hour later with the Chinese Takeaway and cereal. Bob intended to leave about ten o'clock, promising to be back tomorrow about ten in the morning to help me pack the tent and move everything else.

Bob had a phone call on his mobile. Because of the sound of the waves on the beach he had it on a loud setting. Marjorie and I could hear both sides of the conversation.

"Bob? It's Fiona. I need your help please."

"Why, Fiona?"

"My front door seems to have swelled in today's sunshine. I struggled to get it open but now I can't shut it. Could you bring a plane and ease it off?"

"OK. I'm still on the beach with Harry and Marjorie. I'll be about a quarter of an hour."

"Still with Harry and Marjorie? You need to stop being a gooseberry, Bob. Marjorie has wanted Harry for a year."

"Is that true?" I asked Marjorie in a whisper.

She nodded before kissing me.

"OK, Fiona, I'm on my way."

"And when you have fixed my door, you're staying the night. I've been waiting for you for as long as Marjorie has for Harry, Bring your overnight things."

"You're sure?"

"Of course I am. Now get here soon!".

Bob left for a night with Fiona. Almost as soon as he had gone, Marjorie stripped herself and me and we were on the sleeping bags on the tent floor. We kissed and cuddled before Marjorie rolled me over and started rubbing herself over my erection. I was groaning before she fed it inside her and rode me slowly and gently. She kept me close to the edge for at least an hour. Finally I grabbed her backside and pulled her so that I went deep inside and came.

She kept my flaccidness inside her as we went to sleep. I slept soundly with Marjorie as a blanket until very early in the morning when Marjorie rode me again. During breakfast, Marjorie was sitting on my lap.

Afterwards, I looked out of the tent. The sun was shining and the tent was dry. We started to pack things onto the trolley, leaving the tent until Bob arrived. Shortly after ten am he arrived with Fiona looking like the cat had got the cream. I looked at Marjorie. She had the same expression. Both had claimed their man and apparently had spent a successful night together.

From then on Harry and Marjorie and Bob and Fiona o often went on outings together, obviously in love.

A few months later we had a joint marriage attended by all our pensioner friends. The beach tent was a love nest again.