A Life Plan Without You.

by Christine Wood

  “I’m Danny, has Mara not been with you this morning?” I looked at him.

  “No Sir, nobody has been near apart from a couple of the commis, asking for things and showing me were the trash compactor is and were pans and things go.” He smiled and laughed at Pam.

  “It’s Danny, if I like you, you can call me Dan.” I smiled.

  “She called me Ma’am earlier thinks I’m the Queen and we all know that’s you daring, you’re going to like this one Dan.”

  “Thank You Danny, I better crack on with these pans, they aren’t going to wash themselves.” He watched me work for a while and disappeared, he returned with a young girl.

  “Mara this is your new boss, Michelle. She will be giving you your jobs and don’t think I’m not watching you Miss.” I smiled at her and shook her hand.

  “Pleased to meet you, can you clear the dishwasher for me please and I’ll put the last of these pans in to soak.” I cleared the last of the pans. As the lunch, time plates started arriving.

  “Scrape plates in the bin, put on here in neat piles, if they are stuck on food, place in this sink. Put the cutlery in here they are the last thing to clean, it all needs more soaking in the hot water and detergent. Wait until you have a good pile and set a conveyor belt going, don’t waste time doing them one by one it’s not time effective, did you get all that Mara?” She gave me a scowl.

  “Yes Miss.” I smiled to myself.

  “I am Michelle and stop with the attitude young lady, I give more than I take, make my life shit yours will be worse. Make it easy yours will be easy, are we clear on those two rules Mara?”

  She said she wasn’t stupid. Shit this going to be awful, it will be like spending the bloody summer working with Becks. She set about scrapping the dishes, finally we had a great conveyor belt going, and we cleared the lunch plates far quicker than I had on my own, and with no more tantrums from Mara. We cleared the cutlery, rinsed it under the tap and put it through the dishwasher, loads of them all rinsed dried and redistributed to the dining rooms.

  “I’m done in, Michelle, I don’t normally work like this, and this is hard work.” I laughed.

  “It’s never killed anyone, hasn’t a good days work Mara. Can you take the rubbish to the compactor and I will dry mop the floors?” I emptied the dishwashers and re filled them with clean water, I went for fluids for them and set about shifting the pans and crockery, which had yet to go to store.

  “You ready for lunch Michelle?” I looked at the clear area. “Yes, Michelle I am thanks.” I followed her grabbing Mara from the rest room.

  “You already on a warning Lady Jane, get your bum up for food. We only have a couple of hours left and then our shift is done.” I laughed at Michelle.

  “Who died and put you in charge?” I laughed, she was giving me the big head motion, making Myra laugh, the first smile from Becky number two all day.

  “Some fella called Danny?” She gave me an ooh. Danny and Pam were watching me.

  “What you having Mara, you need to eat if you don’t, you’ll have no energy for the day ahead.” She grabbed a plate and put everything I put on my plate on hers. I was having chicken and a salad, Michelle grabbed a pile of chips.

  “Michelle proper food, your mum will need to buy that bulk order of zit cream in again.” She scrunched her nose at me.

  “I have chips here, Baby-Mish because I don’t get them any at home, not all of us are chefs.” I laughed, bloody Baby-Mish she hasn’t called me that for ages.

  “Chips are not a culinary master piece. You should see the pile of stuff I had to collect from uni, on Friday. Masses of the stuff and the wine waiter’s uniform is tress kinky and sort of sexy, tight figure hugging pants, and I may have got the wrong size waistcoat too because my boobs seem to be showing more?” We scanned our cards and sat down to eat. “It may get me more tips all this boobage on show.” She pissed herself Myra didn’t know what to make of me. Poor girl, I’d bossed her about all morning.

  “Please Mara sit here with us, we don’t bite, well I don’t Baby-Mish does she can be a cow ignore her, I do.” She sat down and ate her crappy salad as she called it.

  “So you’re a chef, Michelle?” I laughed.

  “Yes, Mara I have years of training left yet and I’m back on track for joining the Royal Navy, if and when I get accepted, lord knows how long that will take, hopefully not long, but I can apparently cook well already. I finished top of the class Mara, but I have to start at the bottom and work my way up, this jobs to pay the uni fees I will have to pay.” The one bright thing in all this hopefully I could apply to join up, when the summer was out of the way, February or soon after I would with any luck, be in the Navy.

  We finished our lunch and a group of people were going to the staff area for a game of netball, Michelle grabbed Mara and me we were put on her team. I liked netball as much as Hockey, game over and exercise done. I’m knackered and in need of a drink, I slipped into the staff canteen and was being eyed up by a table full of waiters, all nice looking too, but not for me, they weren’t Sam. I sashayed out of the room and laughed, I wasn’t being laughed at I was being ogled, wowsers!

  “Come on Mara, we’re nearly finished for the day, see you in bit Michelle. Wait for me or come and get me please?” We got back to another inspection, this time both, Pam and Danny were checking.

  “Have we done something wrong Danny, I hope not?” I waited for the reply.

  “Why this set up Michelle?” I looked on in amazement. I explained the setup and why I had done it and then I have a rant.

  “We do better than this in our small cafe at home with a proper commercial set up, with a proper running table and power hand jets for getting the crud off, as we did in the college kitchens this is pathetic for a big hotel such as this?” They looked at me and smiled.

  “We do have it and it will be put back later. We have been testing the new day and night staff and you’re the only one who’s moved this table over here to do a temporary set up.” I smiled.

  “So, this is the go for a can of tartan paint test is it?” They laughed, nodding their heads.

  “The new night staff failed and had a two hour backlog, you managed it on your own this morning, with Mara missing in action again…”

  “She has worked hard since I got my hands on her, really hard.” I smiled.

  “Michelle, are you stopping here all summer?”

  “I’m here until the first week in September if that’s all right? I have to enrol in the second week to start my advanced classes in patisserie, confectionary and wine stewards’ course, sometime in October God knows when I was so organised before, now I’m a wreck, oh hell let me at those pans or I will be hours behind if that’s alright Danny?” I looked at the build-up of pans heading our way.

  “Mara, start on that lot please? I will be there when I’ve finished here.” She did as she was told, starting to scrub and clean the pans. “If that’s all, I think she will get miffed, if I don’t pull my weight.” I went to help her.

  “Shift your skinny bum over there Mara.” She laughed.

  “Pot calling kettle missus, you’re a skinny bitch, skinnier than me.” I laughed. As we cleared away the stainless steel pot table was moved back into place. Reconnecting the jet nozzle for the spray head to clean off the crud stuck on the plates and allowing all the wire baskets to run around the whole area, no lifting or stacking, just smooth running’s, that would be easier for them tonight, but it made no difference to us we had managed.

  I did think it was cruel trick and one I would never have done, no overtime paid for the extra hours worked. We had a busy afternoon, this lot liked their afternoon tea, and we finished early. I had all the pans placed back and emptied the bins and yet again dry mopped making sure the dish washers were clean and ready for the evening meal and restaurant shift tonight. I went to clock out and Danny called me into his office.

  “Michelle can you do evening shifts at all? And I don’t suppose you speak French
do you?” I smiled.

  “Je peux et Italien, Espagnol et Russe, assez bon pour être capable de parler aux gens. I do and along with Spanish, Russian and Italian, I am all right to hold a conversation with, why? Overtime depends when you finish, my last ferry is at eleven and I have to get to Fleetwood before that Danny. I can do whatever Michelle Green does, she’s my friend and neighbour, can I ask why?” He made notes and smiled, he spoke to me in Italian, perhaps testing me?

  “That’s good to know. We have a delegation coming to stop and they are French and Italian. I speak Italian, so no problems there and the chef well he can’t be in two places, they are supposed to be bringing an interpreter, but we have to ask staff if they would be willing to step in, the council are bloody twinning the town with some places, in France and Italy. Right, Michelle, there will be plenty of shifts Friday and Saturday nights in the dining room, silver service are you any good? Stopover’s in case you need accommodation.

  Well done today and especially with Mara, she’s Pam’s daughter and she was very impressed with how you handled her and call me Dan. Bring your gym stuff and trainers tomorrow I have a surprise for you.” I said I would, answering him back In Italian, I had understood all he said yeah, I told Dan that I had passed that part of the course too, and did private functions a couple of times a month and knew how to do the waitressing and serving wine too, last minute functions for the masonic functions, and to ask my Uncle Preston, the steward of the Masonic Halls, if he needed a reference, he laughed and said Michelle sang my praises all the time. I waved goodbye, smiled and went to meet Michelle.

  “I’m trashed Michelle that was a hard days graft. Well done Mara, no missing in action tomorrow, if you do your own toilet duty, and I can manage on my own. So Miss, uniform on and at the pot-wash area at half seven on the dot.” She was too knackered to argue and waved us away she got in her mums’ car and waited for her. “I’ve been asked if I can do Friday and Saturday evenings, what shifts are those like?” She smiled.

  “Cushy ones, they don’t do as much grafting, as we do during the day, they only have evening meal and supper pots to clear, oh and crap from the outside functions they do, and they are cushy jobs to get too. Mornings have twice as much, but it’s tricky for the ferry and sometimes you have to stopover, especially if they have functions, but you get a room and extra pay, plus I get to let my hair down, you too now, we need to enjoy the summer Michelle get you a fella.

  Oliver likes you, he’s the waiter from the main dining room, he asked me about you, as well as Ste and then Dave, you had them arguing who was going to ask you first, they may have a side bet going as to see who can actually get you in their bed first too.” I smiled and feigned a shocked horror face.

  “I’m not ready for that and I don’t think I will be with anyone else. Michelle, my trust issues now are way too screwed up.” I got a hug and a squeeze. We got to the ferry and set off over the sea to Hambleton. I loved my first day, but even though it was only six o’clock, I was ready for bed, so tired.

  “See you tomorrow Michelle, I need my bed and a shower and dry underwear, note to self don’t wear good undies.” She disappeared into her house.

  “Hello you lot I’m back.” Grandma was sitting knitting my new cardi, a fluffy black thing. I had a feel and smiled a most excellent comforter. I gave her a kiss and she smiled, I asked were the giant was; Michael had gone fishing with the skipper and would be out all night.

  “Did you have a good day Michelle?” I smiled I had and it was wonderful.

  “I did, and I got promoted on my first day too, I’m head morning shift pot washer.” I laughed loudly she smiled and asked had I eaten. I had and was going to bed, today had been tough and I had hoped it would get easier. I slept well and right through to Gramps waking me to get up again.

  This went on all week until Sunday, when I had a much-needed day off. So went for a run, I hadn’t had much time to think about things, I was too busy at work, but I did actually think about Sam, all the time on the tram journeys to and from work. I loved him I couldn’t help it, but I’d scuppered any of them plans with Paul’s stupid kiss. I ran to the estuary and back my fitness had improved, the dance class was at three, so I went back and changed. I had a quiet walk around to the church hall Lizzy was opening the doors. She smiled and gave me a hug.

  “I’m back use me and abuse me please. I need to be teaching the male steps I’m doing the teaching classes. Lee has asked me to be a teacher, I’m so pleased Lizzy.” She smiled.

  “We have a fresh load of men and they are a bit of a handy bunch of old gents and boy are they lively, well they are for me. I teach a ladies class too, they are all hard work, but it pays well Michelle, they are terrors much more so than the caterpillar class.” I laughed her caterpillars were a handful for her too. We cleared the floor placing the chairs around the edges and sweeping the already clean floor and putting down grated wax to polish the floor whilst we danced. I put on my dance shoes and smiled as I heard the rabble coming in.

  “Grams is coming later too, to walk me home. She likes people to think she taught me all I know.” We had our first class turn up the village kids. I ran them through their dances whilst Lizzy fretted in the office, apparently all the oldies now had to come for their lessons at the same time.

  “You lot are cracking at this, you dance better than my lot and they all passed, so you know the rules, about what you need to wear so make Lizzy and yourselves proud what time do they need to be here Miss Lizzy?” She smiled.

  “Please be here at seven sharp.” I was stunned that they did night exams here.

  “This is the only exam class I teach Michelle the rest are pleasure for dance classes, a yoga class and a ballet class.” The Caterpillars were collected and I was busy meeting and greeting old dance mum’s I hadn’t seen some since last summer.

  “Michelle do you think you can help with this next lot, these are the Hornie Toad Class?” She looked at me. “They named themselves and when they get in, you’ll know why, it’s just the two pleasure for dance classes on a Sunday, the gents are the Toads, and my ladies are the Ladybirds, these oldies have a sense of humour it has to be said, they are coming early this week the coach straight after the toads.” I waited with baited breathe, I didn’t have long to wait they were on their way in with Grams.

  “Maria, save the last dance for me cutie pie.” I laughed; Grandma was lapping up the complements and the attention.

  “Please Fred, put Mrs Welles down. Right you lot in here and meet your new teacher for the next couple of months.” I smiled they were a bunch of twelve, male pensioners from the church owned nursing home.

  “Hello gentlemen, pleased to meet you, I’m Michelle and for the next few months I will be teaching the toads some floor filling dances. You will be lean mean dancing machines, when I leave you. The ground rules are pinching my bum will get you a smack, but do it more than once and well I will make sure you dance with a Zimmer. If you want to accept the challenge, then step this way.” They laughed and all moved towards me. “Right, I’m going to show you a Foxtrot, a nice and simple starter dance. I don’t suppose any of you have done this before being this is a new dancer’s class? If you have please, step this way?” One nice looking gent stepped forward, smiling. “We have a volunteer Hello and your name is?” He smiled.

  “I’m Joe, but whatever you call me, please be sure…” I finished his sentence with him…

  “… You don’t call me late for tea! Nice Joe.” He gave me a hug and laughed with me. “Please come show me your moves then?” I laughed. “My Uncle Joe says that to me all the time, that and first up, best dressed! I don’t know why he’s the size of a bloody great big gorilla, his stuffs too big for me.” He laughed at my attempt at humour. I put the music on and he held my arm and placed his hands on my waist.

  He danced it perfectly, I smiled as he moved around the floor, and the other fellas were watching his moves. He had a grace as he danced, which reminded me of Sam… See
even here I think of him.

  “I think Joe, that’s perfect thank you.” I walked the other fellas through the basic steps, they all wanted a dance with me and then Lizzy came to help, just as her ladybirds arrived. “Lady’s feel free to help Lizzy and I muster these men into shape.”

  All my men had partners now and watched as Joe and I dance the basic steps, the ladies were learning a new dance too. Lizzy had been teaching them separately, she doesn’t cope well with stress and I can see why, these oldies are terrible, worse than the nippers I teach, but oh so much fun.

  “Joe you dance very well, and are very light on your feet, how did you learn?” He smiled.

  “My late wife Hattie, now she loved to tread the dance floor and we have taken, classes for many, many years, I came tonight, because I didn’t want to watch television. I must say you dance very well too Michelle.” I thanked him.

  “Right ladies and gent’s I would like to walk you through a waltz. You all at some time will have danced this and most of you won’t realise it. I call it the wedding shuffle because it’s the one dance where you all get up to dance at a wedding, but you don’t really know the steps, but you move your feet with the music in the required squire formation, and normally folks get near to the required steps, without realising it. So, this one should be easy, I bet you have all danced it at someone’s wedding, if not your own.”

  I asked for Joe’s hand again, he took mine gladly. We did the steps slowly and asked that they followed us, Lizzy, walked around correcting the struggling ones and we put on music and danced it through he was my dream partner, such grace and stature and his smile was beautiful.

  “Joe would you like to dance with someone else? I can’t monopolise you, you will be very popular being able to dance with such grace.” He laughed.

  “Rather I stopped with you Michelle that lot are a bunch of raving idiots in the home.” I smiled at the man staring at me.

  “Well if you’re sure it’s really nice dancing with you, thank you. Our last dance for the evening is a Jive. Now most of you will have done the fifties freestyle version, chucking each other, over shoulders and under legs. This one is the ballroom toned down, correct version, not the one invented by the rampant sexy Teddie Boy's way back in the fifties, I apologies if you were a Teddie Boy. I can guarantee with this version you won’t break your hip replacement, if you follow me carefully and don’t add the fifties version in, were not insured for the over the backs and under the legs stuff, so follow Joe and I. Joe if you please. Can we also have music please?”