Time On His Hands!

   It can be imagined that the Prisoner-Number 6 had a good deal of spare time on his hands. After all they couldn’t be constantly asking him why he resigned his job, or attempting to extract other information from his mind. So it stands to reason that there were times of inactivity towards Number 6, when Number 2 and his administration actually left Number 6 to his own devices. To amuse himself in whatever way he may.

  We know that Number 6 threw himself into the Exhibition of Arts and Crafts, by demonstrating his wood working skills, in having created a piece of abstract art. Although for reasons beyond his control, he did miss The Village Festival.

    He became involved in Village politics when he stood for public office, the position of Number 2. Well he said he might as well while he was waiting….waiting, waiting for what?

   He also attended the Carnival, and the Ball in the evening, so much so that he became the cabaret!

   Number 6 is a student of chess, so it must have been something of a novelty for him to take his place on a human chessboard, and become a chess piece and not an actual player. He also played chess with people at the Old People’s Home, the ex-Admiral, the General, and one other person. The games usually resulting in 7 or 11 checkmate wins for Number 6. He did once lose a game against the ex-Admiral, but then his mind wasn’t on the game at the time.

   He did attend the Appreciation day ceremony, not that he took much notice of the actual ceremony itself. He even attended one of the regular Brass band concerts.

   And when Number 6 isn’t poking his nose in where it has no business, he takes daily strolls around The Village. Daily he climbs the Bell Tower, no doubt he’s still on the look out for that light, boat, or plane. A sign from his world!
   He uses the gymnasium while fencing, shooting, and for his semi-weekly Kosho practice. And yet at some point he builds his own piece of gymnasium equipment in the woods, a high bar and punch bag. He would have needed time to erect the high bar, and to stitch a punch bag together out of various scraps of material, before he could actually put his private gymnasium to use. And then goes water skiing to cool off from all this physical activity.

  He enjoys time at the café. He daily buys a copy of The Tally Ho, and reads the daily broadsheet. Buys his groceries from the General Store. And spends some of his time sitting to have his portrait painted by an eccentric artist. And when he’s not doing that, he spends time pacing back and forth in his study whilst eating a sandwich and drinking tea!

  Yes Number 6 likes to keep himself physically fit and mentally active, and would have had more spare time than first imagined. But then that’s generally the way with prisoners in captivity.

Be seeing you