by Tara Ford
Tasha nodded her head and smiled just as the front door opened.
“Hi Dad, what do you think…?” asked Jenny as she turned round at the same time as the other two. All three of them dropped their mouths and peered questioningly at the stooped, old lady standing by the counter grinning.
“Oh, I’m not your dad lovey,” she chuckled, “at least, I don’t think I am.”
The elderly woman was so tiny, she could barely see over the top of the chocolate laden counter displays on either side of the till. Carrying a large, woven shopping bag, she looked like she was waiting for some assistance.
“Can I help you at all?” asked Jenny softly. “We’re not actually open until tomorrow morning but I’m sure that we could serve you now if you wanted something.”
Dayna rushed behind the counter and stood up tall and all important looking. “May I?” she said to Jenny, beaming from ear to ear.
Jenny nodded and laughed and then watched and listened to her no.1 employee’s first ever transaction with, potentially, her first ever customer in J’s Convenience Store.
“I would like some sardines if you have any,” said the old lady, tugging her bright yellow knitted cardigan, tightly around her. “And bread?”
Tasha headed straight round to the tinned food section and grabbed two tins of sardines. “We have got them in brine or tomato sauce,” she called out.
“How much?” asked the woman.
“Two pounds and twenty pence,” replied Tasha.
“Goodness gracious me,” said the little lady. “That’s far too expensive. What about your bread?”
“We’re doing a fantastic offer on the bread,” said Jenny, stepping in defensively. “It’s just one pound and fifty pence.”
“Hmm…” the woman muttered, “I’ll have a half loaf of brown please.”
“Ah, we’re not selling half-loaves yet. I will almost certainly be getting some in though, if you could come back on Thursday.” Jenny hadn’t given it a thought to order in any half-loaves for the (more than likely single) elderly residents of Millen Road.
The petite old woman huffed and turned to leave. “I walked all this way and you haven’t got what I want or it’s too expensive. I will have to go down to the town now.”
“I do apologise madam but as you can probably see…” Jenny pointed to the open/close sign on the door, “… we’re not actually due to open until tomorrow. But by Thursday, we will have the half-loaves, if you would like to come back.” Jenny hoped she didn’t sound like she was begging for her first potential customer to come back.
“Hmm, thank you kindly. I will go to town before the chilly evening sets in. Good bye.”
Dayna and Tasha were speechless as they watched the frail woman go out of the door and hobble away.
“What a bloody cheek,” said Dayna, leaning across the counter top. “If she’s anything to go by, we’re gonna have a lot of fun around here, eh Jen?”
“I should have thought about half-loaves – especially around here,” replied Jenny, slightly deflated by her first experience of a customer.
“We’re not even open yet, Jen. She shouldn’t have come in.” Dayna was in defensive mode, “She obviously didn’t look at the sign on the door which clearly says ‘Closed’.”
“I know but I could hardly turn her away, could I?”
Tasha stood silently by the side of the welcome display, propping herself up on a shelf. She said nothing.
“I can see there will be a lot to learn as we go through this. One step at a time I think,” said Jenny and looked across to Tasha and smiled. “If you want to get home Tasha, that’s fine. I think we’re all done now.”
Tasha nodded and then turned and walked away to collect her bag from the staff room.
“How about you, Day, I can manage here if you want to get off and pick up Xaylan.”
“Yeah, was gonna get going now anyway. Mum texted me asking what time I’m picking him up. Don’t think she can put up with him for more than a few hours these days.”
Can’t blame her, thought Jenny. “Ok, I’ll see you at eight o’clock then – on the dot,” she said, teasingly. “We could have crumpets for breakfast, yes?”
“Absolutely,” replied Dayna and headed off to collect her things.
Thankfully Jenny’s dad was the only other person to walk in through the door during the late afternoon. Three sets of silver coloured window blinds were hung quite quickly, between them. They added a finishing touch to the look of the shop front and could be closed to conceal the contents of the shop at night. Although Jenny had paid to have security alarms fitted, the blinds now had a dual purpose and would also protect the shop from the afternoon sun, which poured through the windows, causing the counter area to be a very hot place to work in.
“The awning will be here in about two weeks,” said Dad. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t get too hot in here before it arrives.”
“Wow – thanks Dad. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I couldn’t have achieved all of this without you.”
“Yes you could – it would have just cost you a bit more,” he laughed.
Chapter 6
It had been some time since Jenny had got up so early in the morning. Her alarm had gone off at 5am and she’d sprung out of bed, with a tummy full of fluttery butterflies.
Millen Road was peacefully sleeping as Jenny pulled up to the back of the shop and parked her old Jeep in one of the two spare bays. It was still early in the morning but her first ever newspaper batch had already been delivered and left, as previously arranged, in the lock-up cupboard (although it was not locked) at the rear of the store. Excitedly, she trotted round to the front of the shop and unlocked the door. She knew she had ten seconds to get to the alarm button, to disable it, before it would begin its incredibly loud ring. Although Jenny had disabled the alarm on several occasions since it had been fitted, it somehow felt different today. Everything seemed different today. It was all for real.
Jenny hadn’t been at the shop at such an early hour before. It was quite an eerie place. When they had fitted the shop out, they all usually turned up at around nine o’clock to begin the day’s work. However, J’s would be opening at 7am today, ready to trade and ready to hopefully catch the early morning commuters as they headed down Millen Road towards the train station in town.
Once the newspapers had been displayed along the bottom shelf, Jenny tried to spread out the few magazines that she had, on the rack above. It would take a couple of weeks before she had the full range of weekly and monthly magazine that she had requested. But for now, she had enough to be getting along with and more would turn up as each day went by.
Taking a long, slow breath, Jenny sighed. The time was 6.45am, she had 15 minutes to grab a cup of tea, walk round the shop for the umpteenth time to check everything was in place and then prepare herself for her first customer.
Turning the open/closed sign round, Jenny checked through the hours of business. Mon – Thurs 7am – 8pm, Fri & Sat 7am – 10pm, Sun 7am – 6pm’. She had a long slog ahead of her but until she could afford more staff she would have to practically live at the shop.
The work rota had been set and agreed upon by both Dayna and Tasha, who would work six days a week each. They were going to alternate mornings and afternoons/evenings, with the option to switch over from time to time, if (and only if) everyone, but more so Jenny, agreed on it at the time. So Dayna and Tasha had a healthy 46 and 43 hours respectively, full time job each. There would be a cross-over period from Monday to Friday, where Dayna and Tasha would both work from 12pm until 2pm together. This would give Jenny a chance, each day, to either take a well-earned break, nip into town to do her banking or pop over to the wholesalers, if she ever needed to.
Wedging the rubber door-stop under the door to keep it open, Jenny dragged the large A-frame notice and poster board outside and left it next to the corner wall. The bold lettering on the poster, displayed in a deep blue print, read, ‘J’s C
onvenience Store – Now open!’
Everything was set, the first shot-glass measures of Buck’s Fizz had been poured in to just ten glasses – Jenny didn’t want to be too presumptuous and she could always fill more, if and when she needed them, and the till had a £100 float in it.
Peering up and down the road, Jenny noted that, apart from the odd motorist or builder’s van passing by, there was no one around. Stepping back inside, she went round the counter and plopped herself down on the high stool, which the girls had all decided would be a good idea to have behind the counter for those moments when they needed a breather. Dayna had said they would need to sit down after the long periods of serving countless customers, whilst rooted to one spot. Jenny had sighed at Dayna’s remark and momentarily thought to herself, ‘wishful thinking’, but then quickly brushed the negative thought away.
At 7.15am Jenny slid off the stool and casually walked back to the front door and scanned the length of the road. The traffic had picked up slightly and now there was at least one car or van every minute or so, traversing either up to the top of the road, which ended in a large, circular housing estate, or down into the town.
In the distance, some two streets away, Jenny could see an elderly lady walking along the path with a small brown dog. Jenny darted back inside the shop and returned to her stool. Waiting in anticipation, she watched through the window to see if the lady was heading up to her shop.
A few minutes later the white-haired woman arrived outside the shop. Jenny’s heart raced as she slid off the stool again and stood to attention at the till.
“Hello?” called the old lady as she strained her neck to peer round the opened door. “Do you have any dog hooks out here?”
“Err… sorry, dog hooks?” Jenny left the counter quickly and went to the door.
“Yes – hooks my love, to tie the dog lead to.”
“Err, no sorry, I don’t.” Jenny tutted, once again she didn’t have what the customer wanted. “I could pick some up this afternoon – I’ll have them fitted by this evening.” Jenny followed the woman outside and looked at the wall underneath the windows. She was sure her dad would be able to pop over this evening to fit some hooks on the wall if she went to buy them in her lunch break. “Could I bring something out to you? What was it that you wanted?”
“Oh nothing – I was only coming to have a look round my love.”
“Ah, ok,” said Jenny scanning the length of the road one way and then the other for any more potential customers. She looked down at the lady’s little terrier type dog. “Would you like me to hold on to your dog for a moment while you have a quick look round?”
“Ooh would you mind, my dear? Wilbur’s a very good boy – aren’t you Wilbur?” the woman said as she bent over to ruffle the top of his head. “Here,” she said, passing the lead to Jenny, “I’ll just be a moment… and please take good care of my Wilbur.”
Taking hold of the lead, Jenny stepped back to allow the woman to pass. Wilbur attempted to follow his owner but Jenny pulled him back and then stood outside the door and watched the lady slowly saunter around the shop. Smiling to herself, Jenny wondered what Dayna would think if she saw her standing outside her own shop with a dog, while someone was having a look around inside.
The woman stopped now and again to pick up items from the shelves. She held the goods in her hand and seemed to study the labels on them. Then she would plonk it back in its place and move along the aisle further, to do the same thing again.
Jenny was just wondering how long the lady was going to be when a tall man appeared from round the corner of the shop. “Good morning to you. Are you the owner?” he asked in a very eloquent voice.
“Good morning,” Jenny replied politely. “Err yes, I am.” She smiled awkwardly. “I’m just holding this dog for a lady in there. She’s having a look around.”
The very upright and strong looking man had to be in his late 60’s or even early 70’s, Jenny guessed. “Would you like to go in?” she said, feeling unsure of what she was going to do if the man wanted to buy something.
“Thank you,” he said and smiled as he passed her. “Ah – young Dolly,” he bellowed. “I thought that was Wilbur at the door.” Gazing around the interior, the man took great strides down the first aisle and met up with the lady, whom Jenny now assumed was called Dolly.
Jenny continued to stand and wait at the front door with Wilbur, who was indeed a very good dog, just as Dolly had said. She looked along the road and could see another elderly man heading her way.
“Morning,” the stout, red-faced man said as he walked up the slope to Jenny’s shop. “This your shop?”
Jenny nodded and smiled weakly, this was not how she had planned to meet and greet her first customers.
“I’ve come to see what you’ve got,” he said with a wide smile across his face. “Is that yours?” he asked, pointing to Wilbur.
“No, I’m just looking after it for the lady in there. She’s having a look around and I don’t have any dog hooks yet.”
“Ah, is that Dolly in there…?”
“Yes, I think that’s her name.”
The elderly man raised his eyebrows and tutted, “Thought she might be the first to get in here. Do you have papers?”
“Yes – absolutely.” Jenny ushered the man through the door and then wondered what she was going to do with Wilbur while she served him. Wilbur looked like he could be quite a mean dog if he felt like it – one of those nasty little ankle-snappers, so Jenny decided against picking him up and carrying him into the shop.
The rotund man had gone straight to the newspapers and grabbed one from the bottom shelf. “I’ll leave the money on here,” he called, as he placed some change on to the counter.
“Thank you,” Jenny replied, rather gratefully, as she watched him walk down to the end of the shop to join the other two. Peering down at Wilbur, Jenny smiled as the thought of her first transaction, albeit in an unusual way, had been made.
“Good morning,” said another elderly man, who was walking a weary, old, half-dead looking, overweight Labrador. Jenny jumped, as she hadn’t seen him approach the shop and could only assume that he’d also come from round the corner. Wilbur pulled on the lead with his tail wagging frantically. The Labrador panted and drooled and then plonked itself down on its wide bottom, when the man stopped. “Are you the dog-sitter,” he laughed.
“Yes, you could say that,” Jenny laughed too. “I’m holding it for a lady while she takes a look around in there,” Jenny pointed inside. “I haven’t got any hooks to tie dog leads to at the moment but I do hope to get some fitted this evening.” Jenny wondered if the man also wanted to go in. “Do you want to have a look?” she asked presumptuously. “I can hold yours too.” Why have you just offered to hold on to another dog, Jenny Fartor – stupid woman? Jenny tutted, discreetly, to herself.
“That’s very kind of you. I’ve seen you come and go from this place and I suspected that you may have been the new owner. The name’s Stuart – here and thank you.” The man gave Jenny the dog’s lead and went straight into the shop, leaving Jenny wondering whether his name was Stuart or the dog was called Stuart. She decided not to use the name at all, just in case she offended the man by calling him by his dog’s name or indeed, offended the dog (Jenny had doubts as to whether the fat animal would last through the whole day, judging by its size and lethargy, let alone be offended by anything). Wilbur and possibly Stuart, stared at each other but made no attempts to play, fight or sniff each other out, or indeed do anything that she thought normal dogs would do.
Shrugging her shoulders, Jenny huffed and shook her head slightly. What a completely bizarre situation to have got herself in to. She was standing outside of her own shop (although it was a gloriously beautiful morning), minding both Wilbur and the fat Labrador (possibly called Stuart), while three elderly people stood down the far end of the unit chatting and laughing. They all seemed to be oblivious to the fact that the proprietor of the new shop was
standing outside, doggie-sitting. Or were they aware but just didn’t care?
Jenny watched as a petite woman appeared from a side pathway running between two houses further up and across the road. She headed down towards the shop, scurrying along like a tiny mouse on a mission. She must have been at least 70, Jenny noted, as she drew closer. The elderly woman screwed her face up and grinned as she approached. Without a blink or a word, she hurried straight past Jenny, did a sharp 90 degree turn and entered the shop. Jenny watched in amazement as the petite lady hurried down the first aisle, scooted around the group of three people, still chatting away at the end, and then turned down the back end of the shop and out of sight.
Standing on tiptoes, Jenny craned her neck to see where the old woman was going or what she was doing, as she held on to Wilbur and possibly Stuart’s leads.
Bloody ridiculous, thought Jenny, I’ve got four customers in my shop and I’m stood outside with a half-dead dog and Wilbur the mollycoddled, potentially hazardous, ankle-snapper!
Suddenly, through the window, Jenny spotted the tiny-framed woman skittering up the far aisle with a pack of toilet rolls in her hand. She stopped and peered into one of the freezers. Reaching down into the icy unit, on tiptoes, she grabbed a tub of ice-cream.
Jenny became uneasy, knowing full well that this was probably going to be her first ‘real’ sale. She scanned Millen Road, searching for anyone else that might be passing by. Then she desperately peered around the frontage, looking for somewhere that she might just possibly be able to tie the dogs to.
There was nowhere.
The little woman plonked her goods on the counter and walked away. She then proceeded to scurry around the shop for a second time.
“Are you ok in there? Do you need any help?” called Jenny from the front door.
The woman didn’t hear her and continued to look at different items, along the shelves.
The other three people continued to talk and laugh amongst themselves, still supposedly unaware that they had left Jenny, inconveniently, outside the shop. Wilbur and possibly Stuart panted, drooled and dripped in the warm, morning sunshine. They didn’t seem to have a care in the world and would have probably been quite happy to stay outside J’s Convenience Store for the rest of the day. However, Jenny was not happy and suddenly decided that almost 15 minutes of waiting was getting to be a bit of a joke.