by Ivan B
“It’s my anger management, when I start to get angry my therapist says I should leave the situation and calm down, this place is convenient.”
Mary sighed with relief.
“How often?”
Charlotte became defensive.
“Two of three times an afternoon, last Thursday I managed all afternoon without a break.”
Mary smiled.
“It’s OK Charlotte, you were up-front about the anger management and I’m glad it’s working for you, I’m not criticising.”
Charlotte closed her eyes and gave a deep sigh.
“Thanks, you’ve no idea what this job means for me.”
Mary studied Charlotte a little more closely, she did appear less worn-out and had a decent tee-shirt and jeans outfit.
“How you getting on with the software.”
Charlotte actually smiled.
“Well; Bella is a good teacher and I’ve got to grips with most of it. I still have trouble with the security configuration for non-English language sites, but it’s coming.”
Mary stood up and made for the door.
“Good, and use this room as often as you need to, I’d rather have you in here than murdering a customer.”
Charlotte gave a crooked grin.
“Then you’d better warn that little toe-rag called Spence, one day I’ll swing for him.”
Mary went outside and spotted Spence at a terminal. She sidled behind him and peered at his screen, it was an animated display of human sex in cartoon form. She coughed and he spun round; he held his hands up.
“It’s legit miss, we’ve got to write an essay on human reproduction.”
Mary slipped into the empty chair beside him.
“OK Spence, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, but I want to ask you a favour.”
He gave her a suspicious look as she continued.
“Look, I know that you probably play ‘wind up the teacher’ when you are at school, to a certain extent we all did. However, this is not school and I’d be grateful if you and your mates didn’t plat that particular game here. This is a library, not a classroom.”
He sniffed.
“What’s in it for me?”
She picked up his library card and waved it at him.
“If my Internet managers say that you’ve become an exemplary character and are an example of good behaviour then I’ll alter this little card to give you free access for an hour a day.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
She sighed.
“Because bad behaviour spreads and I don’t want my staff wasting their time policing your activities when they could be doing better things and because I think you have a good brain and if you actually applied yourself to your homework rather than trying to wind-up my staff then you’ll have less hassle at school.”
He took the card from her.
“How long before free access kicks in?”
She laughed.
“One week’s good behaviour and you’re on. Mind you, to stay on free access you’ve got to stay good and try and stop your mates being nerds.”
He held out his hand.
“Done.”
She shook his hand and went to the book-shop. The cost of giving him free-access was trivial, but hopefully the rewards were great.
Down in the book-shop Serena was stacking a new set of books on the shelf, Mary looked at them.
“Thought we’d stopped selling that.”
Serena gave a beautiful smile displaying her even white teeth.
“We had, but last Wednesday a spotty young man walked into the shop seeking information on Shingle Street in the 1950s, this locally published book is the best source of information and I sold him our last copy. Since then there’s been a steady stream of people asking for it and rather than order the copies one by one in I got a pile, the author only lives around the corner. Would you believe I’ve sold over thirty copies.”
Mary frowned.
“Why the sudden interest?”
Serena shrugged.
“All the purchasers seem to want the same information; where was the cold-war bunker at Shingle Street, when was it destroyed and so on. According to the local paper yesterday there are literally hoards of people on the beach at Shingle Street all with metal detectors. The speculation is that someone has found a valuable roman coin that was probably disturbed when the bunker was dug.”
Mary suppressed a laugh.
“Has anybody found anything?”
Serena giggled.
“According to the paper there is now a nice pile of ring-pulls in the newly provided skip and a mass of old metal bottle-tops, but little else.”
They watched Catherine sell a copy of the book to an elderly man wearing camouflage type trousers. Mary nodded to the back of the shop.
“Can we talk?”
They squeezed into Serena’s tiny room at the back of the shop that housed her book-ordering computer and some unpacked boxes of books. Mary carefully sat on the pile of boxes.
“Keep this under your hat for the moment, but it looks like I’ll be buying the library and book-shop from John’s daughter Joanna.”
Serena half-nodded.
“I’m not surprised, if I was on the other side of the world I wouldn’t want the worry.”
Mary carefully avoided talking about the price.
“I’ve been thinking, when I do take over ownership I’d like you to totally run the book-shop and keep your own accounts. We both know that you know more about running a book-shop than I do and it’s silly to pretend otherwise.”
Serena’s eyes momentarily widened.
“You mean run the book-shop as an independent subsidiary?”
Mary nodded.
“Initially yes; the library will need some of the book-shop profits for two years, after that it might be better to make it wholly independent, then if the library fails the book-shop won’t automatically go under.”
Serena opened her mouth, but Mary butted in quickly.
“I can’t afford to up your salary, but I can afford to give you a linked bonus; say 10% of every pound over last years profits.”
Serena screwed up her nose.
“Lot of extra work Mary, accounts and all that. I know I give you raw accounts, but producing auditable ones is a different ball-game.”
Mary laughed.
“OK, what’s your figure?”
Serena rolled her eyes.
“Oh, I’m no good at this, especially with you, but 25% would be more realistic.”
Mary started to give a counter offer of 15% and stopped.
“Higher than I wanted, but OK. For the next two years lets say 25% of every pound over last years profits, then we’d better have a review or you’ll be skinning me alive.”
The surprise showed on Serena’s face.
“I should have asked for more!”
Mary laughed.
“No chance. As soon as I get the lease in my name I’ll put it all in writing. That OK with you?”
Serena nodded and Mary instantly changed tack.
“That also means that you’ll hire and fire your own staff, but I’ll still expect them to work upstairs if necessary.”
Serena smiled.
“Of course.”
Mary nodded to the shop.
“How’s Jasmine doing?”
“Bit quiet and shy with the customers, but accurate on the till and has a good knowledge of books on boy-bands. She’s proving to be an asset.”
Mary watched Serena’s face .
“But what?”
Serena looked embarrassed.
“I never said ‘but.’”
“You thought it.”
Serena sighed.
“But she keeps on at me to read that book and go to church with her and says that my Buddhist faith is a load of codswallop.”
Mary grimaced.
“Give me five minutes and send her up, I can’t have that.”
&nb
sp; Serena shook her head.
“Not now your problem I believe. She’s a good girl and I regret to say I lost my temper with her this morning, I think she’s got the idea now.”
Mary raised her eyebrows.
“You! Lost your temper?”
Serena nodded.
“So much for striving to keep peace and tranquillity. I told her that I’d believe in her God more if I saw her faith in action in her work rather than in her mouth.”
“And?”
“And she’s been like a lamb.”
Mary laughed and stood up.
“Then I’ll leave you to it.”
She paused and took the book Serena had pointed to, it was called Live a Different life.”
She waved the book at Serena.
“Stick this on my tab.”
She made to leave, but Serena barred her way.
“Thanks Mary, I need a fresh challenge.”
Mary, on impulse, gave her a hug.
“Let’s hope we don’t get too many.”
Mary arrived home to find her mother banging about in the kitchen. Mary knew the signs well and that it meant her mother was in a mood. Mary opened the ‘fridge to take out the evening meal.
“What’s up mum?” She said as casually as she could.
Helen banged a cupboard door shut with enough vengeance to take it off its hinges. “Nothing!”
Mary turned on the oven and popped the pre-prepared cottage pie inside.
“Can’t fool me mum, something’s upset you, not that silly old man at the day centre is it?”
Helen slammed another door and then sat down on a stool.
“No, the day centre was fine and before you ask I had a good time with Elsie.”
Mary sat on the other stool and waited. Helen virtually leapt of her stool and made for the kitchen door.
“And I’m not a child, so don’t treat me like one!”
Mary waited for her to go into the lounge and she picked up the handset to the cordless phone that was on the kitchen table and checked out the numbers; no-one had called in, but someone had phoned a mobile phone and a local number. Mary interrogated the phone and found the numbers in the address book; the local number was their solicitor and the other was Daniel’s work’s mobile. Mary developed a strange sense of foreboding. She went into the lounge to find Helen sitting in her chair muttering to herself, she looked up.
“Not your fault either, it’s that pig-headed son of mine.”
Mary sat down next to her mother and held her hand.
“He’s my brother too and he’s not that pig-headed; in fact as brothers go I think he’s rather nice.”
Helen made a snorting noise.
“Did you know he was courting?”
Mary smiled at the phrase.
“I knew he was keen on a girl called Patricia.”
Helen made her snorting noise again.
“Don’t know what you mean by keen, did you know he was living with her and has been for the past two months?”
Mary sense of foreboding increased.
“No I didn’t, it’s really none of my business.”
Helen banged her arms down on the sides of her armchair.
“But it is your business, he says that if I’m moving out into a flatlet he wants to move up here, with this Patricia woman, and come and live in this house!”
Mary’s heart sank, but she tried to retain some control.
“Well half of it is his mum, so I suppose from his point of view…”
Helen banged her arms down again and half-shouted.
“Will you stop being so bloody reasonable! If he comes here then you can’t live her with Robert and…”
She stopped mid-sentence and Mary put her arm round her.
“Well the answer’s simple. You don’t move out and he won’t move in. As we’ve said a million times, we’d be more than happy for you to live with us.”
Helen shook her head and her eyes became filled with obstinacy.
“I’m moving into my flatlet and that’s the end of that.”
Helen squeezed Mary’s hand.
“At least he said that he’d buy me out so I can give you some money towards somewhere else.”
Mary opened her mouth and Helen gave her a fierce look.
“Don’t even think about saying no.”
Mary decided that acquiescence was probably the best policy, at least till her mother was in a better mood.
Robert arrived just after nine, much to Mary’s surprise as they’d agreed not to meet until the following day. He stood on the doorstep looking sheepish and to her unsaid question replied.
“She’s gone to the cinema with Nell and is sleeping over, it was a late invitation and I thought…”
Mary moved forward and kissed him.
“You don’t need an excuse, we’re engaged, remember?”
He entered at opened his mouth, before he spoke she said.
“In the lounge, fast asleep in her armchair.”
He smiled and she took him in the kitchen and put the kettle on. He sat on a stool.
“Had a good day?”
She paused in the movement of cups from cupboard to work-top.
“Actually I’ve had an absolutely rotten day; my employer’s died on the other side of the world and my stupid brother wants to move in here when mum moves out.”
He gauged the look on her face and held out his arms, she practically fell into them.
Later, after telling Robert all about her relationship with John and her disappointment at both her brother moving up and her mother still moving out she re-boiled the kettle and made the coffee. She sniffed.
“You must think I’m a wimp.”
He gave her a serious look.
“No, just a weak and feeble female.”
She opened her mouth and he burst into laughter.
“You should see your face!”
She joined in his laughter and then sat on her stool.
“I haven’t asked you how your day was.”
He shrugged.
“Not good. Had the house valued and it’s not worth as much as I thought. As the estate agent succinctly put it ‘no garage, no garden, on a busy main road and no entrance hallway – not exactly a buyer’s dream house is it?’”
He suddenly brightened up.
“One good piece of news though, the Vicar can see us Friday night about seven-thirty and he’s free on the Saturday in four weeks time.”
She laughed.
“Hasn’t got a spare house has he?”
He leant forward and kissed her cheek.
“Something will work out, it usually does.”
Mary whispered.
“And you house is definitely a no-go, do you know I haven’t seen inside it yet?”
He sighed.
“That’s the other bad news. I had a good look at it with different eyes and I’m in no doubt; the staircase is too narrow for a chair lift and the walls on either side are supporting walls so I couldn’t easily knock one out, besides, I’d have nowhere to work.”
He held her hand.
“I asked myself ‘what would I say if people living here needed to get to the first floor without walking up the stairs, what would I say?’”
He squeezed her hand.
“And I answered myself by saying that I’d advise them to move. Staircase is too narrow and there is no simple way of putting in a single person lift. It could be done, but at the expense of too much space.”
Mary gritted her teeth and forced herself to say.
“Do you think we’re being silly and taking it too fast?” And held her breath.
He kissed her hand.
“Definitely not, marriage in four weeks if we have to live in a tent.”
She let her breath out and he said quietly.
“And we’re living together, not separately until things work out, there must be a way, we just have to find it.”
That night before she went to bed she
had a good moan at God and then realised that with after sharing with Robert and then sharing with God she felt a lot better. It didn’t alter the bare facts of John’s death and no house to live in after she was married, she just somehow felt at peace about the whole matter. And, despite her fears, after reading a few chapters of the book she’d bought that afternoon, she had an untroubled and dreamless sleep.
The following morning Mary arrived at her usual time to find a bunch of white roses on her desk. The card poked in amongst the stems told her that they were from Robert, with the simple message, ‘To help you have a better day’. She smiled and Bella said from behind.
“They certainly brighten up the place, he must love you very much”
Mary smiled and sniffed the roses.
“When did they arrive?”
“Florist was waiting on the doorstep, as she’d had the order as soon as she'd opened at eight.”
Mary wondered at the trouble Robert must have taken to get then to her; she’d never had a boyfriend, but if this was what it was like she thought that she was going to enjoy the next few weeks. She suddenly realised that she'd forgotten to ask Serena something and went downstairs. Serena was loading yet more books about Shingle Street on the shelf, she turned and smiled at Mary.
“Found these in the second-hand book-shop, same author, but different book.”
Mary glanced at Olga, who was down the other end of the shop.
“Serena, can I ask you a question?”
Serena nodded and recognised stress in Mary’s face.
“Is it that difficult?”
Mary swallowed.
“I know you’re a Buddhist, but would you be prepared to enter a Church?”
Serena laughed.
“Of course.”
Mary visibly relaxed.
“Well will you be prepared to be my matron of honour?”
Serena gave a huge smile.
“I’d be honoured. When will it be?”
“Saturday in just under four weeks.”
Serena momentarily lost her normal even composure.
“Four weeks!”
Mary smiled.
“I know what you're thinking, but I'm not pregnant, we just don’t see the point in waiting.”
Serena beamed.
“Four weeks it is then, do I get a dress?”
Mary laughed.
“I was going to talk to you about that… ”