Jazzled!

It's my life...

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Old things


First day at the new job yesterday. I got there early so’s Jo (the woman whose shop it is) could show me what to do before I started. I hung around outside in the cold for almost an hour before she turned up with armfuls of old clothes – seemed she’d been to a car boot sale to look for stock. We set to sorting it out. She seems to go for anything old in good condition as long as it’s clean and has a bit of style about it, and it goes straight on the hangers without cleaning – she said anything that needs doing can easily be dealt with later and in the meantime we might well sell it. That means that the shop smells a bit – you know, like something does if you put it away without washing and don’t wear it for a long time – Marz has stacks of stuff like that, but Jo has dried flowers in baskets around the place so it’s not too bad and you do get used to it.

The place is rammed with stuff – she even has an Edwardian wedding dress with a seventeen inch waist and sewn with seed pearls. Designer dresses too. She got me looking through the stock so’s I’d know what’s what, and I’m to examine the new stuff carefully and spot-clean or iron as needed. She has this shelf full of specialist cleaning fluids and Stain Devils out in the little room at the back. I enjoyed the first few hours – it was a bit like sorting through the dolls’ clothes, deciding what looks good with what.

Then we got busy – hardly room to move, but Jo’d warned me to keep sharp as people go off with things given half a chance, and some of that stuff’s worth a bit. I couldn’t believe the cash and cards coming across the counter. OK, I worked at Retro-specs, which is kinda the same idea with glasses, but we never sold as much on a Saturday.

And then bloody Calla walked through the door and gave me a fright. All got up in the red boa and what looked like Pete’s cowboy hat and boots. I tried to keep my head down. The last thing I need is for Pete to know where I am on Saturdays. But she didn’t seem to notice me – the new black hair and ditching the pink I guess – so as soon as I could I slipped out to the loo just in case. Lucky she was gone by the time I got back.

Home again, and Marz had cooked – only bought pizza and chips – but it’s the thought that counts, and she doesn’t have too many of those. We ate it in front of the box then she buggered off out, as usual all slappered up like she was in a panto. She’ll be too old for all that one of these days. When I’m on my own I can’t help thinking of Danny. Hope he’s OK. I watched the box awhile then went to bed.