Scrap CH THREE part 50

Scrap CH THREE part 50
‘I can only let you have four, Mrs Barker,’ the assistant is explaining for the umpteenth time today, ‘there’s a shortage you know.’ She points to the sign propped on the counter in her hardware shop. ‘It’s nothing personal,’ she continues, ‘but we have to be fair and give everyone a chance. It’s the same for us too; four candles per customer and that’s all I can let you have.’ Mrs Barker pays her pound, which is more than double the normal price, secures the precious candles in the big old handbag she always carries and storms out.
A steady queue of people has been in and out all day since the sign went up outside and already the stocks are running low. Miss Eltham hasn’t seen so much business since the war when she managed to get a load of tinned salmon from a friend at the docks and she wishes she had taken twice as many boxes from that nice Mr Ridley. She hopes he will come back with more as he promised and hopes also that the power cuts continue long enough for her to sell all her stock.
Fat Frank has been to every corner shop and small business selling boxes of candles at inflated prices, knowing they will make more than double for the retailers. It is boom time for the struggling little people who suddenly find they have queues at the door whenever they advertise candles are in stock and people are buying them even at a quid for four. Strike one for the little guys, thinks Frank, who has also provided plenty of stock for his favourite eating house and the Working Men’s Club. Suddenly everyone wants to know good old Frank and who is he to argue?
Work is slowly picking up for the haulage company and the pals don’t see much of each other these days. Everything is changing and Frank is finding it difficult to keep up. Jason keeps coming up with yet more ideas for expansion and Rosa confuses him by blowing hot and cold: one minute she is all over him the next she’s giving him the cold shoulder. He never could understand women so he makes the most of any opportunity which comes his way and enjoys what he can when he can. He looks at the people around him and all things considered he wouldn’t swap his life with any of them.
The four drivers CRS inherited from Hayes have fitted in well enough and been happy to drive whatever has been asked of them. Jason made it clear from the start that they would not tolerate any Union interference and the men don’t belong to any. So many firms have been brought to their knees by strikes and picket lines and Jay is determined not to follow them.
Harry Tobin has suspended all haulage activities and even sold his vehicles to make room for the more lucrative exporting of farm and road machinery and plant. He is still thick with College Smith and has distanced himself from Danny Casey, much to his relief. Carol has settled into her new role as mother and home maker, secretary, general dog’s body and wife, which suits Harry. She says she has had enough of trying to run her own business, especially in these hard times. Julie still haunts the place most days but she helps out with the children so Harry tolerates her presence. At least she isn’t seeing Ken Chapman now he has found a new young floosy to grace his arm.
Dawn is still driving her mother round the bend and onto grass verges but she is not quite as terrifying as she was at the start and is determined to pass her test, which she has booked for March 28th. Scotty has told everybody to circle the date on their calendars but he is secretly hoping she will pass. The older children need someone to ferry them to their various after school clubs and he is never there to help. He rarely gets to any of their school plays or concerts but as he has heard Jamie’s rendition of ‘Grandfather’s Clock’ at least a hundred times he guesses he can excuse himself, and Heather is happy to pick away on her guitar in her bedroom until she gets the tune note perfect, which could take some time if progress so far is anything to go by. Maybe Bert Weedon was being a bit optimistic with his assertion that anyone can ‘Play in a Day’, but it keeps the girl amused trying.
Robbie seems not so keen to accompany his dad on trips to Gateshead these days, making the excuse that he has other things to do. Scotty misses his cheeky presence and the journey seems longer without his constant questions or his loud snoring. The kids are growing up and it seems to be happening all of a sudden. Even the twins have changed immensely in the past few months and Dawn pointed out some grey hairs on her husband’s temples the other day. He wonders if he should dye them to match the rest of his thatch but maybe that would look even worse and as his missus says, it makes him look more distinguished. He laughs to himself at the thought, finishes filling the diesel tank and sets off on his lonely journey to the north.
Jason and Bettina are hosting a dinner party for the company directors. Scotty has brought Dawn along for a nosey round the newly completed bungalow, Frank has spent longer than usual getting ready even though he has had only an hour’s sleep since returning from a trip to Tintagel which took best part of two days and Rosa is looking splendid in unusually feminine attire over which she wears a pinafore while she helps her soon to be sister-in-law with the food.
The men sit in the huge living room enjoying large measures of Irish whiskey while the women fuss about in the kitchen. ‘Well lads, we’ve done what we set out to do,’ grins Jay as he swirls the amber liquid in his glass and takes a satisfying mouthful. ‘Even the missus is impressed and she isn’t easily pleased these days. We can take £1250 each this quarter on top of our wages and I think that’s cause for celebration.’ The other men agree, it has been hard work but they are doing very well. ‘I’ve got so many plans for the three of us,’ he continues then Frank buts in: ‘you mean the four of us,’ he reminds the younger man. ‘Oh yes of course, Rosa as well, and she’s been great especially with the Hayes site. That house is going to be worth a packet when she’s finished with it.’
Bettina appears in the doorway to announce that dinner is served and the group take their seats. ‘This looks great,’ says Jason as he surveys the neatly placed cutlery, crockery and glasses. ‘Prawn cocktail, my favourite.’ They wait for their hostess to fill their glasses with some rather sweet hock then get stuck in, all commenting on the delicious food and trying to eat politely and slowly. ‘It’s a good job we’ve got a gas cooker,’ says Bettina, ‘we’re due for another power cut in half an hour so I’ve got the candles ready. I must admit I was wrong about those Frank, they’ve brought in best part of two thousand pounds and we still have plenty in stock.’ Frank nods in acknowledgment of this unexpected compliment. ‘Next time I have a brainwave you won’t be so shocked then,’ he replies.
They are half way through the main course of chicken chasseur when the power goes off. The men scramble to light the candles set out along the table and Rosa looks even more radiant in the glow. She looks up and catches Frank’s gaze but it is too dark for him to see that she is blushing. ‘Who would have thought a few years ago that we’d be sitting here like this?’ Asks Dawn, who has noticed everything, ‘we’ve come a long way since then.’ The group mumble their agreement between mouthfuls of food and wine, Bettina keeps the glasses topped up and everyone is enjoying the evening when the phone starts ringing. ‘Let the answering machine pick it up,’ suggests Bettina, ‘we don’t want to spoil the atmosphere.’ Jason strains to hear the message which is being left but gives up, reasoning that if it’s anything important they will ring back.
Bettina is enjoying all the attention as the guests praise her cooking skills. She brings in the meringue Chantilly dessert, which goes down a treat, then finishes with the cheese and biscuits which despite everyone having stuffed their faces already they still manage to find room for.
Before they actually explode Bettina decides that everyone has had enough. The women help clear the table and set about making coffee which will go down well with the after eight mints. The men haul their stuffed carcasses into the living room and flop down on the comfy sofas waiting to be waited on. ‘This is the life,’ observes Scotty; the others nod in agreement and Jason pours generous amounts of brandy for each of them. By the time the girls arrive with the coffee the men are falling asleep but they soon liven up as they settle in their places. Dawn and Scotty are pleasantly squiffy, leaning against each other companionably. Bettina is sitting so close to Jason he can barely move and Rosa has taken up position next to Frank.
Jason tries to make another toast to CRS and Frank smiles to himself as he realises he has gone full circle from the day he stuffed a wadge of cash in his pocket during a power cut to now when he has a wadge of cash in his bank account and another power cut has brought unexpected rewards. Yes they have all come a long way.