The Prayer Breakfast

Sam, Louise and Stanley had decided to go to an inter-church prayer breakfast that began at seven o’clock in the morning. Sam stood by Stanley’s bed and gently called his name, trying not to wake Amos and Boris. Stanley continued snoring.

Stanley was having a strange dream. He was standing behind the counter in a shop.
“You’re shop hasn’t got any windows,” said a customer.
“It’s the new energy ratings,” said Stanley. “You’re not allowed to have any windows. Windows lose heat. You’ve got to have two layers of thermalite blocks, 100mm of cavity wall insulation and 65mm of phenolic foam wallboard.”
“I still think a shop should have windows.”

Sam remembered his first aid training. He didn’t want to shout Stanley’s name loudly or he’d wake the others. The best way to wake an unconscious casualty was to shake them by the shoulders. He put his hands gently on Stanley’s shoulders.
“Don’t touch me, don’t touch me!” shouted Stanley, lashing out with his arms and legs and knocking Sam over, so that he fell on top of Boris, who was sleeping on the floor.
“Sorry Sam,” said Stanley.
“Sorry Boris,” said Sam. Sam got dressed and opened the door. He met Louise who was standing outside.
“I came to see if I could get you and Stanley up without waking the others. Then I heard you all apologising to each other, and I thought, oh, they’re all awake now.”

No one ever invited Stanley to an early morning prayer breakfast again.