Thirteen Letters. Chapter One.

Mystery surrounds my beginning, my elderly dad who lives miles away from anywhere, has always told me, “Jude our puppy found you, and I kept you and took you home.” I didn’t question it; I was treated very well and was taught etiquette and how to dance. I was happy.

But as the years rolled by, I wanted to move out and see the bright lights of the city. So, with my dad’s blessing I left home for the first time in my young life. I soon hit on hard times, for I wasn’t good with handling money. I went to bed one night, in my little studio flat feeling that I had hit rock bottom when that night I had a strange dream.

The dream seemed real, it was that vivid, there was a series of things I was to do, without questioning the reasons why, I was by this time, between a rock and a hard place. I’d not eaten properly for three days, I had nothing to lose, so the following morning I decide to do what I had seen in the dream. I walked into the hairdressers, the name of the shop that I had been given, and said exactly what I was told to and nothing else added, my heart was pounding in my chest as I said to the woman in the shop, “I have no money, please can you wash, trim the ends of my hair and blow dry it, and give me a clean shave?” She smiled and said, “Yes of course, please take a seat.” I was shocked! I have thick, long, straight blond hair that comes to my waist. She washed and conditioned my hair trimmed the ends, then blow dried it and gave me a clean shave. An hour later she was finished, I kept thinking, while she was doing my hair, I hope she knows that I can’t pay her, I hope she heard and understood, I was worried but kept calm on the outside. I got up to leave and I said in a calm voice, “Thank you and goodbye,” She smiled again and said, “No problem.” I was the only one in the shop. I went outside, and thought, what just happened? I then walked to the next shop, a short distance away, a bespoke made to measure suit gent’s shop. I took a deep breath and walked in, for if the last shop I’d just been in was scary on the outside, then this one was going to be a challenge, for I was wearing old tatty clothes. I opened the door and went in, I remembered exactly what I had to say, for it was all in my dream, the words I should say, with nothing added and nothing taken away. I looked at the old very smart looking gentleman and said to him, “I have come to try on my suit,” He said, “I’ll just go and get it for you sir.” He went into the back room and came out with a large linen, beautiful suit cover, I could see my initials in the corner, P. A. in gold-coloured letters. The man said, “This arrived by special delivery yesterday,” He placed it carefully on the counter, I could then see under my initials in brackets, (made to measure) I was impressed by those words, as I thought, no one measured me, who knows my size? The gentleman unzipped it then he picked up the garment cover and handed it to me and said with a smile, “The changing room is just over there sir,” I went in and tried on the suit, it was lovely, it indeed seemed like it was made to measure, for it fitted me like it was made for me, it was made of beautiful light gray linen. I went back out onto the shop floor and the gentleman gasped, when he saw me, the Sales Assistant then said, to me, “You look amazing Sir, here is a white shirt and black shoes to go with it, I already know your neck size and shoe size,” Which I thought was quite odd, but the start of the day was already odd. I put on the shirt, and the shoes and came back out again, he was impressed, he walked around me and came back to the front of me and said, “There is nothing to add, you look very smart sir,” I then told him, “I am going to an interview today and I am nervous,” The sales Assistant replied, “There will be no competition, you will knock everyone out of the water, the job will be yours,” I instantly felt reassured and calm.

The interviews would be held, staringly enough in an old school at 11am I was hungry, but my first priority would be to get the job and then worry about food. The Post was for an acting part with a twist, I had never tried acting before, and I had no idea what the twist would involve, it had said, “Full training would be given,” And “No experience, needed.” So, I had nothing to lose. I was excited.

I arrived, at the old school, and a middle age looking man informed me to, “Go straight ahead through the purple doors,” On the other side of the doors, I saw other candidates, all men, they all looked up at me as I came into the corridor, I sat on a chair, there were about twenty of us, so I had at least a one in twenty chance. I used the time to look at some of them, and listen to others, some looked as nervous as I felt, some looked confident, others I just couldn’t tell. We were given no script to rehearse, so I suppose we were all in the same boat, there was fifteen minutes to go and still other young men arrived and soon there was thirty of us. Oh dear, I thought, I was very nervous now, and then I remembered the powerful words of the Sales Assistant from earlier today, and I felt a sudden peace.

At 11am sharp the same gentleman who had informed us to go through the purple doors came into the corridor and said to us all, “Gentlemen, please follow me,” This is it, I thought. We all got up and followed him. He took us into the large assembly hall and said to us, “Please can you all, stand side by side, and face the front.” There in front of us, was a woman seated on a wooden chair, with eleven people seated three or so feet behind her in a row. Bizarre or what! There was complete silence, the woman, at the front, slowly looked from left to right at us all from where she was sat, so we were on the stage of the large hall and everyone else was below seated. Then after what seemed like ages, with an upturned palm arm outstretched she said, to me, “You with the light gray suit on, you have got the job,” And to the other men, she said, “Thank you all for your time, for making the journey here today, please can you all follow the gentleman on your left.” OK, so I was stunned, I’d never been to an interview like this before, what had I just let myself into? So many questions raced into my mind, I wasn’t asked any questions, nor was I given the opportunity to ask any. Was it a trap? Was it a scam? I seriously wanted the loo, a fag, a beer and food, in that order!

The lady who had ‘interviewed’ me, said “Congratulations,” I replied, “Thank you.”  She then said, “Come and join us, I went down the small curved steps and was standing soon in front of her, I was asked, “Have you eaten?” I replied, “No, I haven’t,” She then introduced herself and said, “I am Maxine Jasmin-Green or MJG, all will be explained to you, lets go next door and eat.” I followed Maxine into the side room and there was a beautiful spread. I said, “Can I pop to the loo first and have a cigarette?” She said, “Of course.” I went to the loo, then went outside and had a fag, I thought, should I make a run for it now? But I was pretty hungry, so I decide to eat first and hear what it was all about, for no contract had been signed and no information at all had been told to me as to what acting I would be doing, had she made the right decision? How did she know to pick me? Would she be disappointed? Would there then be a second choice if I blow it? Would I be on a six months trial? Maybe I should write a long list of questions to ask her, she did seem rather nice though and friendly enough.     

As I went back into the room where the lovely buffet was, everyone clapped and cheered and happy voices said to me, “Congratulations,” I was a tad embarrassed and replied, “Thank you all,” I felt like a mini celebrity. Now that I’d had a fag and been to the loo, I began to feel a bit more at ease. The food was delicious, it did cross my mind, that I might ask for a doggy bag so that I could have some for supper and breakfast. The stella was ice cold, and I actually felt a sense of belonging, like these people unknown to me this morning, was like my family, but that in itself was odd for I didn’t know any of their names only Maxine’s if that was indeed her real name.

Maxine came over to me, and said, “In about an hour, when we have all eaten, we will go into another room where hot drinks will be served, I will introduce you to everyone there and let you know a bit more of why I chose you for the job, OK?” I said, “OK.” When something seems too good to be true, then there must be a catch, for who am I? So, a little bit of fear came back, my gut instinct was all over the place today.