Thirteen Letters. Chapter Eleven.

Both Maxine and myself our birthdays are in the same month. I decided to do something unusual, for we all knew in the past how she likes to spend her birthdays, she had told us enough times, “I love to spend the day in TKMaxx, then go for a McDonalds, and if enough time has past since I last ate, finish off the day with, fish n chips!”

So, the day before her birthday, I had set my plan in motion. It did make me smile thinking about it, I hadn’t told anyone else, just those who needed to know outside our Teams.

It was a Saturday, my day off, I was in one of the offices, that had CCTV, so we could see her every movement.

There she was, right on cue, walking on the street, near the store, where the taxi had just dropped her off, then she suddenly stopped, she’s SO observant I knew she’d seen it, and of course she took a picture, she takes a picture of everything, if it moves or not. Then she took another picture of something else she’d seen. She’s so predictable.

Inside TKMaxx, she stopped again in disbelief. She knew her beloved yellow sticker sale was on, and she made a beeline for the first lot on the ground floor. I watched and smiled, from the office. I couldn’t wait to hear her tell me and the others later.

The following day was her actual birthday, and Maxine as about to start her questions and answers, in front of the live studio audience. She knew we were all going out afterwards to her favourite eat in chippy.

Maxine had asked for a cup of hot chocolate, as it’s one of her favourite hot drinks. It was brought to her, she turned to say, “Thank you,” To the waiter, and then she did a double take, for when she looked up, she saw Jim Parsons and JK Rowling. They were both standing there smiling, the audience, cheered as they saw them, clapped and whistled.

Maxine’s mouth was just open in amazement. They said, “We three will be going out now for a meal, the Q&A now was just a front, come with us for your birthday meal from Paul and both Teams.”

Maxine will now say in her own words, about her birthday.

I have always loved all my birthdays, the only one I didn’t like was when I was twenty-nine, and living on my own. I was counting down, like I usually did, but I was sad back then, I had felt hopeless not knowing what the future held, I had no husband and no kids. Then with weeks to go, while in my little flat, looking in the mirror, tears rolling down my face, I had sort of come to my senses, and gave myself a good talking to. I told myself, I am in good health, not in a wheelchair, not in pain, not got cancer, I have a job and lovely family. I didn’t feel batter, but I had faced facts! To be fair, it did make a difference I was alive. My lovely friends had arranged a fabulous surprise birthday party for my thirtieth. Then from then, all my other birthdays they were a breeze. I did get married soon after and we had two beautiful kids.

I remembered most of my other birthdays especially when we had gone out for a meal at my favourite restaurant, everyone had paid for their own meal, Jenny had paid for mine. Yesterday’s birthday, was a day to remember, that is an understatement.

As soon as I got into the taxi to go to my favourite shop on earth, I saw the initials of the taxi driver, MJG that’s quite unusual, I took a picture. I paid him and got out and walked the few yards to the shop and stopped, I couldn’t believe my eyes, there in huge letters, there again I saw MJG on a large poster, I took a picture, then a few steps on, I saw the words in big green letters with a gray background the word Jasmin spelt correctly, at the side of the bus stop. I took a picture, it was odd, because one its my surname and two those particular colours, gray and green, they mean a lot to me. I then went inside TKMaxx, heart beating fast as it usually does when I walk into a TKMaxx store, and looked to see where the yellow sticker sale is, I spotted it and went straight over into that corner.

It was then it dawned on me, that someone was playing a trick on me, for on the actual yellow sticker sale sign was the word, Maxine!!!! It was Paul, it was perfect, I loved it. I was happy it was one of the Best birthday I had ever had, nothing could top it.

Oh, how wrong I was, when I saw my two-favourite people on earth, apart from my Mum, Kids and Husband, having a meal out with them, fish n chips and mushy peas, it did bring a tear to my eye. We also had a laugh, I had lots of questions to ask them, but they were also fascinated with me and Paul, and wanted to know what was going to happen next. I replied, “You will know, when everyone else knows, as it’s top secret.” They were only with me for two hours, then they both had to go, but I felt very privileged that I had had the chance to meet them both. There would be a lot to write in my diary tonight. “Thank you, Paul and Team, for making my birthday a day to remember.”

Back to you Paul.

I had written these words down and sealed them in my bank, leather, linen and Malta, but it didn’t mean anything to me, until one day Maxine said, “Lucy and Victoria from my Team and Wayne and Gary from your Team, we will be going to Malta for a photoshoot,” I did think it was a far way to go for a photo, but hey, it was all, or half of it was written down, for Maxine had just confirmed the other half.

She’d had me measured for black leathers, jacket and trousers, and a cool navy linen jacket and matching trousers and underneath both jackets I was to wear a white t-shirt.

When we got to Malta I said to Maxine, “I don’t like leathers,” She told me, “Put them on, then we are all going to the beach.” On the beach away from other people there was a fantastic Triumph motorbike, I had to sit on it, with my bum slightly in the air, as Maxine took photos, I had to look in her direction but not at her, with a serious look on my face. The next lots of photos I had changed into the linen clothes, it was cooler in those, for the leathers had made me hot! In the final photos Maxine came closer to my face and took pictures she had said, “I will pick the best three and will sell them.” What she meant by that I didn’t know, for I was not allowed to ask, why?

Back in the UK, Maxine had the photos developed and when she was ready, she showed the three photos that she had chosen, one was me on the motorbike, in the leathers, the other I was in the cool linen and the third one was a close-up of half of my face, looking straight at the camera, from the top of my head to just below my nose, that was all was in the picture, so my diamond nose ring was included and my blue eye, you couldn’t even see my ear.

Maxine told us, “These three photos will be framed in three plain, silver frames, and sold at a set price of a million pounds each, at Sotheby’s. The size of the photos will be a yard wide by two yards high.” We glanced at each other, and said nothing, for so far, she seems to have the Midas touch.

The following month the three photos went on sale for the set price and they were, snapped up by three phone bidders, within seconds. I was intrigued to think what she would do with the money, so I asked David to ask her. Everything Maxine does it, is open and honest, even if it is does not seem so at first. In an email to us all the following day, both Teams and the Staff who work at our home, Maxine informed us all, “One million will be given to various Churches, around the UK and second million will be given to various small animal, organisations and the final million will be given to children and the elderly charities, those who are less fortunate than ourselves.” She then included the long list of the charities, that she had given to. We were all impressed, it showed us there is a lot of needs.

Two weeks after that, we were again with Gordon Ramsey, it was always an exciting time, he had just finished cooking his three dishes that we had helped him cook, then without warning Maxine spoke for the very first time ever in these sessions, and she said, “Absalom, which one would you like to try first?” And without missing a heartbeat, I pointed to the wonderful garlic butter, pasta and spinach dish. And said, “This one.” Sharp Gordon, quickly said, “Did Maxine just call you Absalom?” We didn’t reply, and I tucked into my meal, eyes down, Maxine had a cute, cheesy cottage pie, that he had made for her, while he stood there, puzzled looking at us, he was scratching his head! We had pulled it off, it worked, we both kept a straight face, knowing we would be able to laugh our heads off later.