We’re back in the jacuzzi at Derek’s health club, Jess and Derek and me, again.

Derek is wearing the same cargo pants. He leaves his Crocs beside the pool.

I have been doing some research on dying. I tell them about it.

Some animals live longer than we do. Each creature seems to have a specific life span.

A crow lives for 12 years but a parrot lives for 70.

Most scientists think we simply wear out. That’s called “wear and tear” theory.

But why would a crow wear out six times faster than a parrot?

I find there is an alternative theory: each species is designed to die at a certain age.

There’s a website that promotes this view. It is at http://www.programmed-aging.org/

Derek says to Jess: “So this god of yours is not a nice person, in fact he’s a bit of a bastard.”

“Apparently  we don’t just wear out. He wants us to reproduce, then get out of the way. He gives us lots of pain nerves to make us fight death in the breeding cycle, but he hasn’t bothered to change all that when the breeding phase is over so we can die in comfort.”

“What do you make of that?”

Jess was looking at him with a soft smile.

“I don’t think Jesus tells us that God the Father is kind. Maybe God the Father is just the universe, utterly beyond our comprehension. Jesus comes to tell us that though suffering is part of our lot, he shares that suffering with us and shows us how to be kind to one another, how to make this life bearable.”

I’m even more sure Derek finds Jess attractive.

One of the girls from reception comes to ask Derek for help with a customer.

He shrugs and smiles a sort of “Oh well” smile.

“Sorry”, he says, puts his towel round his shoulders, shuffles into his Crocs and goes into the changing room.

“But I think he cares…” says Jess, turning her head to look at me with a little frown. “There is pain behind the scorn.”