Book Woman

by Ivan B

  “Is that Nell De Jaunt?”

  Mary chuckled.

  “Something like that, I can never pronounce it.”

  Robert nodded.

  “That’s good, their in the same year at school.”

  He sipped his coffee again.

  “Hate to be a pain, but have you any sugar?”

  Mary retrieved some sugar and brought it to the conservatory. Robert dropped two spoonfuls in his coffee.

  “Thanks for this afternoon. If I can repay you in any way let me know.”

  Mary hovered by her chair and then collected her back-pack from the lounge. She handed him the blue prints.

  “I guess if you’re an architect you can read these.”

  He took them from her.

  “Got a table?”

  “Sorry no.”

  He walked into the lounge and spread the blueprints out on the floor.

  “What am I looking for?”

  She perched herself on the edge of her mother’s armchair.

  “They’re the plans for my library building, on the top floor there are five dormer windows to the west of the entrance lobby, but only four doors in the corridor. My modern plans show five doors and five rooms, so I obtained these original drawings.”

  He studied the label.

  “These were classified at some time, that’s curious.”

  He spent three or four minutes crawling between diagrams and Mary watched his movements. Eventually he looked up.

  “There’s something not right here, these are structural plans, so they won’t show door furniture and suchlike.” He paused.

  “But what they do show is that the room halfway down the building has no indication of a doorway at all it is totally walled in – why would anyone build a room with no doorway?”

  Mary relaxed, so she wasn’t going mad.

  “Exactly, that’s what I keep asking myself.”

  He studied the diagrams and absent-mindedly drank his coffee as he did so. Eventually he looked up and muttered.

  “I’d like to look round this building, any chance?”

  Mary unconsciously rubbed her right knee.

  “Any time, but Wednesday afternoons would probably be best.”

  He folded up the drawing.

  “This Wednesday OK?”

  “No trouble, come anytime after two.”

  He handed her back the drawing.

  “Be sure and give these back to the records office won’t you, someone might need them if the building ever needs a major repair.”

  She felt herself blushing.

  “How did you know?”

  “They’ve got a records office mark on the back.”

  He stood up and sat in the other armchair, in the silence they could hear the distinctive sound of the space-invaders game upstairs. Mary nodded up to the ceiling.

  “Summer holidays start next week.”

  He raised his eyes upwards and sighed.

  “Tell me about it, I’ve got a major contract to try and finish next week so I can take her on holiday the week after.”

  Mary wondered about Josie’s mother, but didn’t want to appear nosy.

  “You could always drop her off at the library for the odd half day. If she likes reading then I can give her a glimpse of heaven.”

  Robert looked as if he’d been offered a life-time’s supply of gold bars.

  “You serious?”

  Mary grinned and nodded.

  “She’d be no trouble.”

  He laughed and wagged his index finger.

  “Don’t you believe it, she can be a little minx.” He became serious.

  “You couldn’t manage Monday and Tuesday mornings could you?”

  Mary considered this.

  “Monday is normally my day off as I work Saturdays, but we’ve got some problems so I will be there, so yes.”

  He closed his eyes and sighed.

  “You don’t know just how much that helps me, at least the rest of the week she will be with her grandparents in Aldeburgh.”

  He drained his cup.

  “Thanks for the coffee, see you Wednesday.”

  Mary heaved herself to her feet.

  “You’ll have to come in through the book-shop, it will be closed, so ring the bell and I’ll let you in.”

  She walked towards the door.

  “Josie’s this way.”

  She went to the stairs and sat on the stair-lift and started to go upstairs. He kept pace with her, she smiled sheepishly.

  “I don’t do stairs, least not if I can help it.”

  He nodded professional.

  “Great things these stair-lifts, they allow the physically challenged to get to all sorts of places.”

  Mary considered this statement and decided that she didn’t like his off-hand reference of ‘physically challenged.’

  “It’s not that I can’t use the stairs, I just that I choose not to.” She replied smartly.

  He did a double take.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be…”

  But Mary was already walking into the bedroom. Josie was still totally absorbed in the game, which was registering a score of over two hundred. Mary walked up behind Josie and waited for her to polish off the last two aliens at the current speed, before gently saying.

  “Sorry Josie, your dad’s here, it’s time to go.”

  Josie spun round and gave her dada a huge smile.

  “This game’s brill.”

  She looked at Mary.

  “What’s your top score?”

  Mary gave a superior smile.

  “Three-thousand two-hundred and twenty-nine.”

  Josie’s eyes became like saucers.

  “Wow!”

  Mary became serious.

  “Then again when I played it I had nothing better to do.”

  Robert studied the Space-invaders cabinet.

  “This must be worth a few bob now you know, original machines in working order must be hard to come by.”

  Mary patted the cabinet.

  “I’m not so sure that it’s completely original, my brother has tinkered around in the innards and I think he had to replace some original parts with modern ones to get it going.”

  They walked to the stairs, Josie looked at the stair-lift.

  “Can I have a go?”

  Robert’s mouth opened, but Mary was quicker.

  “Of course, just sit there and don’t move – and don’t be tempted to jump off!”

  Josie glided down the stairs and then back up, they then all went downstairs, this time with Mary on the stair-lift and then Mary showed than out. As Josie skipped down the path Robert turned to face her.

  “I didn’t mean to offend you, and I’m sorry if I have, sometimes professional detachment is not a good thing.” He stopped.

  “I’m digging a hole for myself aren’t I?”

  Mary managed a weak smile.

  “Well stop digging and thanks for the apology.”

  He turned and left, Josie waved and Mary waved back and closed the door; just what was she getting herself into? For years she’d tried to avoid entanglement and friendship with anyone and to lead her own life in her own way. She consoled herself that she was just being good-natured and went to check on her mother.

  At 11pm, just before she was due to go to bed she sat on the edge of her bed and put down the phone. Somewhere during the day she had decided that the library was John’s lifetime investment and that she had no right to keep the recent events to herself, especially if it meant less profits and potential disaster. John had been philosophic; he was obviously having the time of his life with his daughter and Eastburgh must have seemed like a million miles away. His response had been simple, the rates were not due until September and he only had to give six months notice to quit the building. Thus the end of September was the decision deadline. John said that he would bear one six-month period of higher rates, but that was all unless things improved. Mary sighed; two months, she had tw
o months and a few days to make a go of the library, or at least point it in the right direction, or she and all the others would be unemployed cum April. She lay back in bed and tried to consider her options; should she take her planned week’s holiday? Should she make an appeal against the rate-rise? Should she call it a day now and retrieve as much of John’s investment as possible? She turned over and drifted off to sleep, the one bonus of all these problems being that she did not have any nightmares, even if she did dream of supermarkets becoming libraries and libraries lending out cabbages.

  Chapter 6

  Not too close if you please

  Monday morning Mary opened up the library to find that her first customer was Josie. Robert looked embarrassed.

  “You did say…”

  Mary smiled and turned to Josie.

  “Ever been here before?”

  Josie shook her head, Mary pointed.

  “Junior library is down there, go and have and explore, you can read any books you like.”

  Josie looked down the library and at the customers streaming in.

  “Can I read the books at your table?”

  “Of course.”

  She trotted down the library and Robert beat a hasty retreat; Mary settled down to compose a rates appeal letter. After ten minutes she noticed Bella standing beside her and looking worried. Mary motioned and she sat down. Bella unconsciously rubbed her hands and blurted out a series of short sentences.

  “I’ve been thinking about what you said last week. I know that you’re kind and that you’ll tolerate more than most employers. But I’ve had a long talk with my doctor. I’ve decided not to try and push myself too far too quickly. When you first interviewed me you said that you might consider a job-share. Is there any chance that I could work mornings? I’m much better in the mornings. And you get someone else for the afternoons?”

  Mary looked at Bella’s anxious face and she tried a reassuring smile.

  “We always knew that you might struggle for a little while; you were very honest about your ME at your interview.”

  Bella rubbed her hands together again.

  “But I feel I have let you down. I thought I could manage all day every day, but I now realise that I’d be foolish to try that too soon; perhaps next year.”

  This was not quite the outcome that Mary had expected from her little talk with Bella, it had been meant to encourage her, not turn her away.

  “You sure? We would be patient you know”

  Bella gave a bleak smile.

  “I know, but lets be honest, I can do a good mornings work, but the afternoons will be crap for some time to come. I want to take it in easy stages.”

  Mary had some sympathy with this approach.

  “When did you want to go part time?”

  Bella gave her bleak smile again.

  “Next Monday, sooner if possible.” She then added hastily.

  “If that’s a problem…”

  Mary held up her hand.

  “We’ll cope, but I want you to tell me when you think you can cope with more, perhaps the odd afternoon?”

  Mary paused to think.

  “If I can get a replacement before next week, would you be prepared to give them a run-down for a couple of mornings? You understand the software better than I do.”

  Bella looked dubious and sucked her bottom lip.

  “Of course, but if they’re not conversant with the operating system it may take more than just a couple of mornings”

  Mary smiled.

  “I understand.”

  Bella nodded and then gave a broad smile.

  “Thank you for being patient and for understanding, I thought you would. After our talk in the café I knew you’d understand.”

  Mary leaned forward and said feelingly.

  “I told you, I know what it’s like when the spirit is willing, but the flesh doesn’t respond, don’t try and run a marathon too soon; you will get there in the end.”

  Bella brightened up.

  “You sound just like my father.”

  Mary chuckled.

  “Well then perhaps you might listen.”

  Bella stood up and walked back to her desk leaving Mary considering her staffing options.

  Josie reappeared with a pile of five books and settled down at the end of Mary’s desk. She didn’t move until eleven o’clock when Mary took her to the little room beside the Internet café that housed the computer network server and the fuse-boxes. There was just enough floor space for two wooden chairs and a small wooden table. Mary opened her locker and pulled out a can of fizzy drink and a banana. She passed them over to Josie.

  “Elevenses.”

  Josie gave a sly smile.

  “No chocolate?”

  Mary laughed and shook her head.

  “Not a chance.”

  Josie looked worried.

  “Not even on a Sunday?”

  Mary gave a wicked grin.

  “That depends how good you are.”

  Josie opened her drink and then, before Mary could do her one handed trick, opened Mary’s for her. She looked around.

  “Does everyone eat her?”

  Mary sipped her drink.

  “No, there’s a staff room upstairs and another in the basement, most people use the basement one.”

  Josie looked serious.

  “But why don’t you use it? Aren’t you allowed to?”

  Mary considered an easy reply, one that wouldn’t lead to a host of questions.

  “It’s has stairs and there isn’t a stair lift.”

  Josie wrinkled her nose.

  “Well I think that’s unfair.”

  Mary patted her arm.

  “And I like it in here, it’s my own secret space.”

  Josie looked around and then looked at Mary.

  “And you’re sharing your secret with me?”

  Mary put her finger to her lips.

  “Don’t tell.”

  Josie nodded seriously, Mary pointed to the equipment.

  “And don’t touch.”

  Josie nodded again and they chatted about the books she was reading before they went back to Mary’s desk. By the time Robert arrived Josie had read two of them and discarded another two as ‘too young.’ Robert quickly thanked Mary and beat a hasty retreat, perhaps she had managed to send out the right message; so far, but no closer.

  By closing time Mary had not found even a hint of a suitable replacement for Bella. The job centre had no suitable applicants and the two marginal candidates they tried to give her had both expressed a desire not to work on computers all day. The local temping agency could not help, at least not at a price that Mary could afford, and even her usual source of employees – that is asking the current staff about their friends – had also drawn a blank. Mary suddenly recalled her conversation with Charlotte; one half of her brain told her that she was desperate; the other said that she was not that desperate. Charlotte’s problem was that she had a very short fuse and that there was no discernible transition from pleasant woman to screaming uncontrollable harridan. One minute Charlotte could be having a friendly conversation and a microsecond later she would be transformed into a ranting maniac. Mary gave a tired smile as she recalled the day she had casually mentioned that pushchairs could be a nuisance. Charlotte had berated her for ten minutes about the difficulties of having a child in a pushchair whilst shopping and on the poor design of most pushchairs, which just must have been designed by men. As usual her simmering down had been almost as quick as her blowing up, but for a short time she had been almost totally out of control. Mary turned to John’s trusty card index and looked up Charlotte’s card; it had an address, but no phone number. Mary glanced at the clock and rushed out, asking Catherine to lock up. She briskly walked to The Red Cabin, but they were closed. However, Charlotte was still visible inside cleaning tables. Mary waited by the front door and after ten minutes Charlotte appeared; she looked perplexed when she found out that Mary was waiting for her.
Mary began to feel somewhat foolish, especially as other staff had noticed her presence.

  “Can we have a word?”

  She shrugged.

  “My appointment calendar is hardly full, but I am tired and hungry.”

  Mary pointed to the local burger bar.

  “Buy you a burger.”

  They settled in a window seat and Charlotte ordered the full works, double cheeseburger with large fries and a large hot chocolate; Mary opted for a small bacon roll, she would eat properly later with her mother. Charlotte smiled nervously at Mary.

  “Can’t afford to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

  The drinks arrived and Mary studied Charlotte across the table. Painfully thin, sunken cheeks, bags under blue eyes, mousy hair inexpertly hacked to a ridiculously short length, well-worn clothes and badly manicured bright red fingernails. Mary knew from the card index that she was twenty-eight, but she looked about forty. All in all the epitome of a beautiful woman destroyed by tiredness and overwork; Mary tried to picture her as they had first met here five years ago, but the image would not come and she gave up. Charlotte put her cup down and encircled it in her hands as if for warmth.

  “What’s all this about Mary?” She asked huskily.

  Mary tried for a friendly smile.

  “I’m in a fix. I’ve got a full-time member of staff wanting to go part-time and I need a replacement fast and I thought of you.”

  Charlotte gazed in amazement through the steam of her hot drink.

  “Serena is reducing her hours?”

  “No, not Serena; Bella - she manages the Internet Café.”

  Charlotte’s eyes took on an even-sadder look.

  “I haven’t touched a computer since I left and that was two years ago.”

  “You were good then, you’d be good now.”

  The food arrived and Charlotte didn’t have to reply, instead she ate like a ravenous wolf. Charlotte wiped up the last remains, licked her lips and looked at Mary.

  “I can’t say that I’m not tempted. The job at the supermarket is becoming dreadful.”

  Mary probed gently.

  “Why two jobs Charlotte and why not mornings?”

  Charlotte flashed back.

  “None of your damn business!” And then bit her lower lip exposing a pair of untended front teeth. She looked at the table.

  “I owe a bit of money and I work at the launderette in the mornings every day, it’s hard work, but good money.”