“Yes.”
“And you Ann,” she continued. “You will work alongside me for a few weeks until I get you up and running. From your CV you seem to have sound bookkeeping training, so you should get going quickly. Robert here will help you in the mornings, as there are a lot of post and statement queries. You will also train him in. I assume you are familiar with computerized account systems?”
“Yes up to trial balance stage.”
“Good” Miss Nash sounded pleased, “I am sure we will get along. Call me Laura by the way, but Miss Nash when others are present. This goes for you too Robert.”
“Yes Miss Nash” they both said and she smiled.
“Come along, we will go to coffee and I will introduce you to everyone.” and she led them out of her office. ‘Any questions?” she added as an afterthought.
“Bank accounts?” Ann asked.
“No problem, we will do the forms and I’ll take you both over to the bank. They are very helpful. I will ring them and set an appointment. Don’t worry.”
“I am to see Mr. Duffy” Robbo offered.
“You have an appointment for twelve,” Miss Nash informed him, wondering as she spoke, how she had forgotten to mention it previously. “Matt, that is Mr. Duffy is a very nice man so don’t let him scare you. He sets very high standards for his actuarial students. But I am sure you will measure up.”
When it came to lunchtime Robbo made his way back to Miss Nash’s area. He had brought a sandwich lunch which he had assembled himself at home. This small parcel was recognizable as a lunch from the butter marks on the brown paper wrapping, but other than a frown of disapproval Mr. Clifford had ignored it and Miss Nash in turn had suggested he left ‘his lunch’ in the drawer of his workstation while he went about his morning duties.
It seemed that there was nobody about. Lunch was from twelve thirty to one thirty and it seemed everyone in the area had gone out, as it was a quiet yet sunny day. Also Robbo was fifteen minutes late as his chat with Matt Duffy had run on a bit.
Robbo went in behind the divider screen to his workstation and stopped startled. Ann, his fellow trainee, was sitting at her workstation opposite his. He had not seen her on approach and they were both startled by his arrival.
To Robbo’s amazement she was red around her eyes and looked like she had been crying.
Ann was equally startled, thinking she had the area to herself.
She had been tense all morning as a combination of factors including starting a new job. She was upset because her father had fondled her as she came out to the bathroom in the morning. He had given her enough money for the bus fare and insisted she would be home by six ‘or else.’ As she shrank back he had pulled her towel away and smacked her again ‘as a warning to behave on the new job’. She had left the house without breakfast, unable to face him again. Somehow it had got on top of her as she sat alone in the office and tears had come down her cheeks.
“Are you all right?” Robbo asked his eyes huge in worry and his face full of concern.
“Yes, just a little tense,” Ann said forcing a smile.
“Are you taking lunch?” Robbo asked extracting his home made sandwiches from the drawer as he spoke. He was afraid to look at her. “Don’t cry,” he added gently, “I don’t know what to do when someone cries.”
Ann smiled a little more relaxed now. She could sense that Robbo was a nice person, kind and thoughtful.
“I’m skipping lunch,” Ann said. Her father had not seen fit to provide funds for to have lunch, but she was not going to share her domestic problems with Robbo.
“I made too much,” he said looking at the small parcel in his hand.
“Did your mother make them?” Ann asked smiling now.
“No, at home.” Robbo stumbled on the words, and then explained, “At home my mother has depression. She only does a little and dad is out a lot. But there is always plenty of what dad calls Plain Food. I do a lot of the cooking when I am home. So I made some roast beef and egg sandwiches.”
“My Mom works and my dad is at home a lot, he works nights.” Ann said wryly.
“Come into the park” Robbo urged. “A bit of fresh air. St Stephens Green is just around the corner. Why don’t we go together? You can help me to eat a sandwich.”
Ann looked at Robbo and his sincere face and smiled at him.
Robbo had a secret ingredient he was totally unaware of. This was the fact that he had never been really mothered through his childhood by his depressive mother, who of course loved him in her own way. Somehow this deprivation had become a part of his aura and when women of all ages looked at him they felt an instinct to mother him. He came over as genuine, strong yet unsure, and his humorous lively eyes were overlaid with a touch of sadness and loss.
Miss Nash had immediately been charmed by him and so in their way had Clarence and Matt Duffy.
For Robbo the morning had been brilliant. It was as if he had at last found a family he could belong to. He felt at home in the office and a joy in everything he was asked to do. It was all such a rewarding learning experience. He was on a high he had only previously experienced from his running.
For Ann, in contrast it had been a quiet morning. Miss Nash had left her to her own devices when it was clear to her that Ann knew what she was doing and was highly competent. However, Miss Nash had been distracted by other issues of the day and Ann had been left with too little to do and too much time to think.
“All right” she said, not having had breakfast Ann’s hunger overcame her inhibitions, and she rose to accompany Robbo.
“My friends call me Robbo.”
“Pleased to meet you, do call me Ann. Except when others are present, then you may call me Miss Nash,” she joked and they both laughed.
From his desk in the Lobby, Clarence watched them go up towards the Green and decided they were a nice couple of kids.
They sat on a bench in the green and shared Robbo’s doorsteps of sandwiches. Ann was pleased to note that the beef and egg were in separate sandwiches. As they sat they fed the ducks and the pigeons with corners of bread from the sandwiches. Ann lifted her face to the sun, which was warming them in their sheltered niche. It was the best part of a fine day.
Nervous and unaccustomed to company, let alone talking to a girl, Robbo chatted on, telling Ann the details of his morning. Ann let it flow over her, realizing she only need the odd interjection to keep Robbo in full flow. Somehow his innocent enthusiasm stilled the turmoil she felt within.
She had a problem. The meeting with the bank had gone well but the bank clerk had explained that the cash card would be sent to her home address and then the pin number in a separate envelope. If her father intercepted these she would have a problem with her plan to escape. She would have to wait a week before they would arrive.
However, later she had phoned the bank clerk and asked could he send the card to her work address, as she was about to move to a separate flat. Reluctantly he had agreed. But Ann still felt tense. She also had to be home by six and somehow she had to find time to locate a place to live, some sort of bed-sit. And she had no money other than the bus fare her father doled out to her daily along with his abusive behaviour.
Ann felt the tears rise again. Robbo was shocked looking into her face. What had he said? He was not a conversationalist and had never spoken for such a long time to a girl. What had he done? His face looked as if he too would cry and his conversation dried up.
Instinctively Robbo put his arms around her shoulders and put his head against hers. Initially Ann froze and then as their faces were close and their eyes met, she saw only tenderness in his face and a loving concern in his eyes. She began to weep into his shoulder and Robbo stroked her shoulders letting her cry, saying ‘there, there,’ and feeling useless.
“What can I do?” he asked after about ten minutes, as her flood of tears seemed to be coming to an end. Her eyes were red and her face was blotched and her eyeliner, which had been a little heavy to start w
ith, had run down her cheeks.
“My sandwiches have never affected anyone else this way.” Robbo added with a tender smile and Ann had to laugh. She knew then that he was good for her.
“Your girl friend?” Ann felt compelled to ask.
“Afraid not” Robbo said with a blush, “I like girls, but I never could get to grips with one.”
Ann laughed. “What do you mean?”
Robbo went deep purple, “I mean, I don’t know. I’ve never been on a date,” he finally blurted out.
“That’s’ OK.” Ann said, “We are not on a date are we?”
“No, of course not, its just, well I am not experienced in people things, I can’t cope.”
“Yes you can,” Ann reassured him. She felt better now that he was the confused one.
“Let’s walk,” she said and they threw the remains of the sandwiches to the ducks.
They walked slowly around the park in the sunshine. Neither spoke but relaxed into each other’s company and the fine day and the flowers and greenery of the park around them.
‘What hobbies do you have?” Ann asked as they reached the furthest point of the park and were turning back to be sure to get back in time for the office at the end of lunch break. They still did not need to hurry. Ann was fully recovered now and her face had settled and with her reapplied makeup it was hard to see that she had been crying.
“I run on my own” Robbo said, “I run a couple of miles every night.”
“Any friends?”
“Not really, my best friend is going to America on a Scholarship, but I don’t see him outside school and we are all finished now. I am afraid I stick a lot to myself. “
They walked on further for a few minutes.
“What about you Ann?” Robbo came back. “Do you go out a lot?”
“No, my father is very strict. I hardly ever go out in the evenings.”
“My father is hardly there, so I can do as I please, but I am not a good mixer.”
“I do work with the church in Ballyfermot during the day on weekends. Some work with the scouts and also I do hill walking with the parish group,” Ann added
“Hill walking sounds lovely, where do you go?” Robbo asked.
“Up into the Wicklow Mountains. It is beautiful there, we go in a van, and some bring cars. There are about ten of us. Some of them take their children. We have a picnic at mid day and we are home by six.”
“Sounds great. Could I come?”
Robbo was shocked at his daring, the words had come out before he had considered them and his heart tightened, he had just asked her for a date of sorts.
Ann looked at Robbo, stopped and smiled.
“Would you like to come? You need a pair of walking shoes and some rain gear. And of course some sandwiches and a flask of tea. If you arrive at Ballyfermot church at ten on Sunday morning I’ll introduce you and you can get a lift in a car or the van we use. It depends on the numbers who turn up. They are always looking for new volunteers.”
Robbo shrugged. “I don’t have a flask for tea, but I do have some old football boots. I could take the studs off and use them for hill walking.”
“Sounds good.” Ann said, “I have a big flask, an old fashioned one. We could share, that is, if you would like to come?”
“I’d love to. I’ll jog down to Ballyfermot, its’ only a couple of miles and meet you at the church at ten. If that is all right?”
“It’s a deal.” Ann said, “Now let us get a move on. We need to get going if we are to get back to work on time. Can’t be taking long lunch breaks on our first day,” she added as she laughed.
They stepped it out together. Robbo was excited by their newfound friendship and wondering what Sunday would be like.
Ann was tense. She did not know to deal with men and she was afraid now that she had agreed to let Robbo come. What if her father found out? What if Robbo tried to touch her breasts? Then she pulled herself together. He was more like her brother than a grown man. He was different, and he too had home problems. They had a lot in common and she had no friends. She could use a friend, especially someone kind and reliable.
Ann took Robbo’s elbow. “We must not let anyone at work know that we meet outside work. It is our business and nobody else’s.”
“Fine by me,” Robbo said happily.
He sensed that Ann was happy to be his friend. And he really needed to have a friend. And… He stopped himself. She was so beautiful. He felt so proud walking up the green with her at his side.
He began to chatter on again about his work. He explained about his meeting with Matt Duffy and the exciting Math books he had lent to him. He was going to cut down on the running and really throw himself into study.
Ann let go his elbow but stayed close to him as they laughed and talked on the way back to work. His enthusiasm, his expansive gestures and happy expression as he talked, these all drowned her worries in his joy of living, and in his joy in the adventure of starting out in life.
She let herself welcome and enter into the happiness of the moment.
Chapter eleven
When Joe returned from tending to his horses, Phelan called Paddy and then took Adizua to the van. They piled in, Paddy at the wheel and Joe in the front seat and Phelan and Adizua in the back of the van.
Joe was suffering from a hangover and merely grunted when Adizua said “Good Morning sir.”
“We’ are going up to a wooded area” Phelan explained to Adizua. “We have a number of cars we need to strip down for spare parts. We reckon that there is about one or two days work to finish. Joe here will sell the spares in town.”
“I understand” Adizua said agreeably.
“You can do some of the labouring Adizua and we will try to get you into town later maybe about lunch time. Work with Joe here and I will work with Paddy. Joe will show you what to do. Joe knows his cars.”
After a ride of about three minutes the van left the road and went down a bumpy path. A bumpy ride ensued and then Paddy stopped and pulled up the handbrake.
“We’re here.”
They got out of the van and Adizua could see that they were in a grove of trees, Parked in the glade he could see four cars, three Volvo and one Saab. To Adizua the cars seemed about ten years old.
“We collect wrecks, strip them and sell the parts for use as spares,” Paddy explained as he and Phelan manhandled a large toolbox off the back of the van.
“Volvo is a very popular Executive car in Ireland and so is the Saab” Phelan added as he separated tools from the toolbox. Joe took one set and Phelan and Paddy the other.
“We’ll start on the Saab,” Paddy said.
“Where would you like to start Adizua?” Joe asked, sounding friendly for the first time.
“I know Volvo’s,” Adizua said, looking forward to the prospect of working on cars again.
“This is complicated work,” Joe warned. “ You follow my lead. Do you have cars in Africa?”
“Yes, including Volvo’s. They make a lot of the trucks,” Adizua affirmed.
“Some of the seats are worn out and we won’t take them. But we take the electrics out, the ones that adjust the seats. Everything else bar the engine block is cannibalized.”
“What tools do we have?” Adizua asked.
“Help yourself.” Joe said indicating to the pile Phelan had taken out of the toolbox. “Let me see what you can do then.”
Adizua had a look at the spanners and wrenches.
“We brought up some bricks previously. We can start with the wheels, put the cars on blocks and work up,” Joe instructed.
“Much more stable if we leave the wheels ‘till last,” Adizua suggested.
“Good point” Phelan agreed.
“I always do the wheels first” Joe insisted.
“Whatever, a car each,” Paddy said, “We need to get started. Adizua, you need to help Joe otherwise you will be standing there, If Phelan or me needs a bit of muscle we can call on you. Right?”
The other three looked at each other doubtful. They did not want any of the parts damaged by removal with brute force.
“I’ll keep an eye on him” Joe said.
Joe was still suffering from his hangover of the previous night and had little stomach for a morning of intensive work although he knew it needed doing. To warm himself up to the task he decided to watch Adizua to see what sort of a fist he would make of the work.
Adizua set about it systematically. Joe expected Adizua would have trouble even finding the catch to open the bonnet but Adizua quickly and expertly accomplished the task.
“Where will I put the pieces?” Adizua asked Joe.
“I’ll get the tarpaulin from the van” Joe said and left Adizua to the task.
I was soon very clear to Joe that Adizua knew exactly what he was doing as he watched Adizua carefully remove each part, from battery to wind screen wiper motor and place them respectfully on the tarpaulin.
“We have a good one here,” Joe declared to the others, “he knows how to strip a car.
Phelan and Paddy came over and watched Adizua at work for a minute. Adizua looked up, beginning to become self-conscious.
“Lets’ get to it” Paddy said, “With four of us we might get done in a day.”
Each took a car and soon the glade was a hive of industry. Joe choose to whistle while he worked, whereas Paddy got a car radio going and Phelan put on his walkman. Adizua looked up from time to time and could see the pile of spares growing. He was delighted he was able to be of use to his hosts. His honour was satisfied as they had taken him in, in adversity, and now he was repaying their hospitality. He wondered how he would get to Dublin and what he would do when he got there.
Love on the Dark Side of the City Page 10