by Tara Ford
“Oh no, that’s fine my dear. I got my paper and a loaf of bread from KO Store earlier. I just came up here to see if you had fitted any dog rings yet.”
“Oh I see,” said Jenny, feeling put out by the fact that the woman hadn’t had any intention of buying anything from her shop, much the same as yesterday and Jenny had gone to all the trouble of fitting dog hooks too. “Well I do hope to have some rings fitted by tomorrow, if you’d like to get your paper here.”
“Oh, we’ll see. You might close down by tomorrow.” Dolly sniggered and then turned to walk away. “Good bye dear and all the very best to you. You’ll need it.”
Thump, thump, thump, thump. Jenny stood in the centre of the aisle and traced the noise along the ceiling again. Thump… thump, thump, thump… thump, thump… thump. Convinced that someone was jumping around in the flat above, Jenny made a mental note to investigate the strange happenings and even confront the rather odd man upstairs. The shop was empty, luckily, but how would she explain the strange noises to any curious customers. It could be embarrassing to have that racket going on when there were customers in the shop.
The hooks were good for most of the early morning dog walkers who travelled up the road to J’s Convenience Store to collect their papers. Some people even thanked Jenny for supplying them. So it seemed that Dolly was the only one who had any complaint about the hooks. Jenny wondered why she had to have such a thick dog lead for such a tiny dog. Weren’t those types of leads for Rottweiler and the like? Wilbur was just a scrawny, little Jack Russell type.
“Morning,” chirped Tasha as she glided in through the door. “Shall I make a cup of tea?”
Jenny nodded her head profusely and continued to make small talk with a group of several elderly men, gathered around the counter. A middle-aged woman, who had popped in to pick up a paper, joined in the light-hearted, friendly chat, at the front of the shop, as she knew two of the men already.
As Jenny began to serve another woman, the chatty group moved away from the counter and continued to natter.
“It’s like a community centre in here,” the woman said in a hushed voice.
Jenny giggled, “Yes, I know. I think they all know each other from years back.”
As Tasha came waddling up the shop towards the counter, with two cups of tea in her hands, the front door opened again and in tottered the tiny, ancient woman, Marj. Ignored by the friendly OAP’s huddled in their garrulous group, Marj hobbled down the first aisle and out of sight as Jenny completed the transaction with the woman she was serving.
Tasha looked at Jenny and raised her eyebrows. “That woman is here again. The toilet roll one,” she said, carefully placing the two steaming mugs of tea underneath the counter.
“Oh, you mean Marj?” Jenny whispered.
“Yes,” Tasha laughed discreetly, behind a hand shielding her mouth. “Hope she’s not buying more toilet rolls.”
“She is.” Jenny looked back from the shop’s mirror. “Just seen her pick a pack up.”
“Oh no,” said Tasha, “should I go and talk to her?”
“Well you could try,” replied Jenny, before rolling her eyes.
After 15 minutes, the small community centre of chattering pensioners began to drift away. Jenny watched from the office door, at end of the shop, as Tasha served each one of the group with a newspaper, before they said there cheery goodbyes and left. Marj was hovering around the frozen desserts freezer, obviously pondering over the idea of buying some more ice-cream. Jenny frowned and shook her head before turning to enter the office.
Leaving the office door slightly ajar, she plonked herself down in the chair and began to finger through the paperwork, already piling up on her desk.
“Ooh, hello.” A voice came from the door. “How are you?”
Jenny looked up, startled by the unexpected visitor. “Oh, hello Marj, have you got everything you want now?”
“I need some bird seed… do you sell bird seed?”
“Ah no we don’t I’m afraid. I could certainly have a look to see if I can get some in for you though.”
“Today?”
“Oh no, it wouldn’t be today, Marj.”
“I need it today you see.”
“Where do you normally buy it from?”
“Well, here of course,” said Marj, screwing her face up in a huff.
“But I only opened yesterday, Marj.” Jenny shifted in her seat and wondered why she hadn’t put the ‘Private Staff Only’ signs up on the doors yet.
“I’ll have some salted crisps then please.”
“Yes, we have those. If you go up the aisle, straight in front of you, you’ll find them on your left.”
“Could you show me please? My eyesight is not as good as it used to be.”
Jenny heaved herself back out of the chair. “Yes, follow me, Marj,” she said begrudgingly, “and then I need to get back to my office and get some work done.”
“Your office? Where do you work?”
“I work here Marj – that’s my office,” said Jenny, turning round and pointing to the room she had just left.
Marj said nothing and walked off to the crisps section as Jenny stood in the middle of the aisle, half way along the shop, with her hands on her hips, shaking her head despondently.
“I think you might be losing some customers,” said Tasha.
Jenny stared at her perplexed. “Why do you say that?”
“Well, all the parking bays outside are full and I just saw a couple drive past, slow down, look in the shop and then drive off again.”
Jenny peered outside and could see that every parking bay was indeed full but not because of any customers in her shop. The cars all appeared to belong to parents from the nursery, a few doors away. “Well, I’m not having that,” said Jenny sharply. “Those are my bays, for my customers. I’ll have to have a word with that woman who manages it.”
Tasha pulled the corners of her mouth down, “I’m sure the couple in the car did want to park up and come in here, possibly to buy something” she reiterated. “Maybe you should buy a ‘No Parking’ sign to put outside or something like that.”
“Hmm,” replied Jenny, pleasantly surprised by Tasha’s entrepreneurialism. “Perhaps I should… problem with that though, is… well, no one would park here at all if there was a ‘No Parking’ sign.”
“Oh yes,” replied Tasha and giggled embarrassedly.
Somewhat later than yesterday’s time, Andrea Doo-Glass walked into the shop with a piece of paper in her hand. “We’re going to buy everything we need from you.” She pulled her shoulders up and grinned widely. “You’re a bit cheaper than KO Store and a lot nearer,” she puffed.
“Great,” replied Jenny. “What do you need?”
As Andrea reeled off the list of items needed for the nursery’s daily menu, Tasha hurried round the shop and collected them.
Jenny put each item through the till and then bagged everything up, whilst trying not to show the excitement on her face.
“That will be £27. 30 please,” said Jenny, as she took the debit card from, Andrea and examined it. “Oh, it’s Douglas, Andrea Douglas… I thought you said your name was Doo-something.”
“Yes, Doo-Glass. That’s how it’s pronounced.” Andrea’s face flushed and her eyebrows crinkled into a frown.
“Right – apologies – yes, of course, Doo-Glass.”
Andrea grinned falsely. “It’s a bit cheeky of me to ask but would you be able to get this all ready for me each day?”
Jenny gulped and composed herself before saying, “Yes, sure, no problem.”
“Don’t suppose you do a tab, do you?”
“Err…” Jenny laughed nervously, “I haven’t been open long enough to even think about anything like that.”
“Oh it doesn’t really matter… I just wondered you know… well maybe some other time.” Andrea took the debit card and stuffed it into her purse. “I can bring a box down if that would help?”
“A box?”
“Yes, to put our stuff in.”
“Oh, I see,” said Jenny. “Yes that would be a good idea, thanks.”
“Here’s a list of the things we need every day. Are you sure that you wouldn’t mind?” Andrea passed the list to Jenny and smiled.
“No, no that’s fine. No problem whatsoever.” Jenny was already calculating the amount of extra stock she would need, to cover such a hearty list every day.
“I’ll let you know if it changes any time. Thank you so much. Sorry, what was your name again?”
“Jenny… and this is Tasha.”
“Ah yes, Jenny. Well, thanks again Jenny.”
“You’re welcome, please, don’t mention it.”
“Don’t suppose there’s any chance of delivery is there?” Andrea laughed out loud. “Only joking… well, unless you do deliveries…” Again, Andrea laughed, but with more vigor.
Jenny thought it rather odd that Andrea should laugh so raucously and couldn’t quite see what was so funny. She smiled politely. “Again, it’s not something that I have thought about yet. I’m just getting used to running the shop at the moment. I may well branch out to other ventures in time though, so don’t dismiss it altogether.”
“Branching out eh?” said Andrea, leaning over the counter and staring hard at Jenny and Tasha. “You getting more shops then?”
“No – not at all. I mean branching out in respect to other services that I might offer in the future.”
Andrea burst in to laughter again, almost hysterically, before stopping short. “Oh you’re funny. I know where to come now, should I need a good giggle.”
Jenny grinned uncertainly, although behind her smile hid a puzzled frown and thoughts of ‘oh dear, not another strange person’.
“I dread to think what other services you two young ladies might be offering,” Andrea guffawed. “Will you be offering services out the back of the shop?”
“No, I think you’ve got the wrong impression. I meant things like deliveries, groceries and newspapers – that kind of thing.” Jenny’s tone of voice had changed, conveying annoyance.
“Ooh, I was only having a little joke with you. Hope I haven’t offended you in any way. I just thought…” Andrea paused and frowned, “well, I thought, you know, girls together, having a little laugh to make the day go by quicker.”
Jenny smiled, “Oh absolutely, I’m always up for a laugh. Apologies, I didn’t mean to sound rude.”
“No offence taken. Right, I’d better get back, they’ll all think I’ve gone and left them,” said Andrea, picking up the four carrier bags, laden with milk, bread, margarine and sandwich fillings. “See you tomorrow morning, my friend.”
“Did you forget to mention about the parking?” asked Tasha, quietly.
“Yes I did. I was a bit surprised by her daily order request, to be honest.”
“That’s good though isn’t it?” Tasha fumbled with the chocolate bars, tidying and straightening them.
“Oh yes, very good. I just had it going around in my head about how much more I would have to add to the bakery and dairy quantities, that’s all.” Jenny picked up a note pad and pen. “I’d better go and put an order in quick actually, otherwise we will run out of things by tomorrow.”
“Good morning,” said a cheery middle-aged lady as she strolled past Jenny, who’d just exited from the office.
“Morning,” replied Jenny, absent-mindedly, as she hurried up to the counter, having just been summoned by the buzzer which connected the counter area to the rooms at the back of the shop. It had been lovingly fitted by Jenny’s dad, for the purpose of emergencies or to call another member of staff, should one of them be out the back of the shop.
Tasha was talking to an elderly man who was leant over the counter, huffing and puffing. “Sorry to call you, Jenny, but this man wants to know if we do newspaper deliveries.”
Jenny looked at the heavily breathing man, who appeared so frail, and she wondered for a moment whether he should sit down. “Are you ok?” she asked, trying not to stare too much at his grey, gaunt face.
“A chair if… you have one please, dear.”
“Yes of course,” said Jenny and grabbed the stool from behind the counter.
The elderly man slumped down on the stool. “Thank you my dear,” he breathed, hard. “Asbestos… fifty years ago.” The man leant over to one side, resting against the side of the counter. “Not too long left.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” said Jenny sympathetically. “Could I get you a glass of water or anything else?”
“No dear,” sighing heavily, the man continued. “Paper delivery. Could you drop one… round to me… every morning?”
“I’m sure we could manage that somehow.” Jenny’s empathic nature had dropped her right in it, as usual, and she knew it. “Do you live nearby?”
“Cornerstone… Close.”
“I’ll check where it is on the map. Afraid I’m not that familiar with the area,” Jenny replied.
“I know where it is,” said Tasha. “It’s only two streets away from here.”
The tired old man nodded his head and grinned a brown toothed smile.
“Ah good, well I err… Yes, of course. That shouldn’t be a problem at all,” said Jenny before she had time to think about it. Grabbing the notepad from behind the counter, she asked, “Could you give me your address and the paper you would like?”
Writing down the details, Jenny suddenly worried how she was going to get a single paper delivered each morning. It’s plainly obvious, was her second thought. She would have to do it herself, once one of the girls turned up to work.
The old man panted, “How much… will… delivery be?”
Jenny hadn’t even thought about that. “Erm, will that be delivery every day, including weekends?”
The man nodded.
“I haven’t thought about this to be honest with you,” she admitted, “How does 70p a week sound?”
“Seventy pence? That’s… daft.”
Jenny frowned in puzzlement, “Oh, I thought that might be ok. Ten pence a day?”
The old man shook his head and smiled. “Far too cheap.”
“Oh really? Too cheap?”
Nodding his head, the old man continued, “Shaw’s…Newsagent… two pounds… and fifty… pence.”
“Oh I see what you mean,” Jenny laughed. “Well, I’m happy to start at 70p – if you’re all right with that?”
The man nodded again. “Paperboys… not reliable… at Shaw’s… monthly bills are… wrong too.” The man pulled himself up and drew in a deep breath. “Rubbish service.”
“Ok, so you came here to see if we did deliveries then?”
“Yes. Drove past… last night… thought you opened… yesterday.”
“Yes we did,” said Jenny, “I closed at eight.”
“No lights on… outside… thought you opened… today.”
Jenny frowned and shook her head whilst wondering why the man had thought she was closed yesterday. “What time did you come past yesterday?”
“Seven… picked up my… wife from church.”
“We were definitely open at that time, weren’t we Tasha?”
Tasha smiled widely. “Oh yes, it was my first shift here.”
“Looked dark, thought… you were shut” said the man, struggling to breathe, to the point of looking quite scary and on the brink of death.
Jenny suddenly realised, “I haven’t got any outside lighting. So you say the shop looked closed from outside?”
The man nodded again.
“Wonder if a lot of people thought that?” said Tasha. “We didn’t have many people in last night.”
“Well, we don’t know that, Tasha. After all, we may not have many customers any night.” Jenny laughed. “I’ll have a look outside tonight. Thanks for letting us know.”
“You are welcome,” said the man. “Could we start… delivery… tomorrow? I’ll pay a month… up front… in case… I should die.”
Jenny was stunned momentarily, by the poor man’s last comment. “Err… yes, that will be fine. Would eight o’clock be ok? I’ll have to wait for one of the girls to start work.”
“Would have preferred… earlier but if you can’t… I’ll wait. Here…” said the man, passing a payment card to Tasha. “One month.”
Tasha looked, wide-eyed, at Jenny and shrugged.
“Right, well, we’ll have to set up a separate payment system for this one, I think, Tasha. Leave it to me.”
Tasha backed away from the till and stood watching as Jenny recorded the transaction in her notepad, grabbed the calculator and a calendar from under the counter and began to work out monies to be paid.
“Dad, hi – it’s Jen.”
“Hello love. Everything ok?”
“Well not really, there are two things, Dad. You’re not going to believe this but the hooks were just not good enough for one woman this morning, she’d already bought her paper from the other shop. So I really don’t know why she’d bothered coming up to mine anyway. She said she’d only came to check whether I’d had the dog hooks fitted. Can you believe it? Bloody cheek if you ask me.”
“Oh dear, you will get funny people like that, Jen. So what are you thinking of now then?”
“A ring of some sort, well that’s what she said anyway – not that I’m bowing down to her demands or anything like that but I suppose she could have a point about those thicker types of dog lead which may not fit into the hooks. Something like a door knocker, do you know what I mean?”
“Yes, I know what you mean, love. So a heavy-duty ring pull, is that what you need?”
“Ha ha, yes Dad. Couldn’t think what they were called. Do you have any in your stash?”
“Not sure that I do, love. I’ve got a lot on this afternoon but I will have a quick look during lunch. If not, I’ll get Jacob to run over to the wholesalers and pick up a couple for you. I can drop in on my way home but it won’t be until about seven. Is that any good to you?”
“That would be wonderful, Dad. Don’t know what I’d do without you sometimes.”