Charlie And Midge - Chapter 9

Charlie And Midge

A Novel

By Paul McCann

Chapter 9

Clearance Sale

Everything had changed for the better sine Charlie and Midge moved away to the Harbour .Their communication and new outlook on life had brought many positive aspects . Their interaction with people in their local community had been a  homecoming experience for them . Feeling welcomed and supported by other folk made them feel accepted for who they were .

It had taken many years after the initial move to Safe Harbour  for Midge and Charlie to feel comfortable with their new way of life . There were always neighbours that weren’t backward about coming forward and asking for help and came out of the house just as Charlie was walking past and threw a bucket of water over the dog who was there which made it run away with it’s tail between the legs .

Charlie asked

“What made you do that Mrs Murphy ?‘”

She replied

“Oh hello there Charlie  , It was like an accident actually you see as I have a problem with a leaking pipe in the bathroom see , that’s why I’ve been saving all the water in a bucket all day to stop the floor getting flooded . It was just by chance that you were walking past at the very same time as I went out to empty the bucket of water onto the street . ‘“

 Charlie looked at her with his face filled with empathy and said ,

“I’m sorry to hear aboutr your leaking pipe Mrs Murphy “

 And she replied ,

“Well isn’t that a bit of luck that you were just passing by Charlie and I missed you with the bucket of water and drenched the dog instead f . “

Charlie looked at her and said ,

“Yeah -Mrs Murphy maybe as I’m here I could have a look at your leaking pipe .“

The widow Murphy lit up and said

“Sure you’re a good man Charlie looking after me after himself went and left me all alone in the world .“

So Charlie went inside and  the widow Murphy just happened to have a ladder already there in the bathroom to the pipe above where  the water was dripping from and so up the ladder Charlie went . The steps were wet and slippery and presented a dangerous hazard for him but against all his better instincts up the ladder he went , nearly slipping twice on the  way .  He  wasn’t feeling safe at all but persevered to see what the problem was in Mrs Murphys pipes . Shaking his head and grunting now and then the widow offered him a little something to help calm his nerves . She gave him a small glass with a drop of the creature from the mountain dew and only because he was having palpitations with nearly falling off the ladder Charlie took the drink and  steadied himself on the ladder . The wee dram helped him settle down and then he could focus more on the job at hand . He saw where the drip was coming from and the part he needed was t-junction fitting and so he had to go back into the plumbers store in toto buy the fitting her needed .When he returned  with the part  the widow Murphy. Had already cooked him a meal for his trouble;. He didn’t want to be rude so he ate the fried sausages and mashed potatoes and as she sat in front of him watching him eat the food .he said to her ,

“Tell you what , I know it must be hard for you after losing Mick a few month’s ago so that’s why I don’t mind lending you a hand ‘“ 

She looked at him and said

“Charlie you know there’ll always be a plate of food here for you anytime you should need a feed and a wee drop of the creature in the cupboard .“

To be honest Charlie didn’t want to insult her by saying her cooking wasn’t the kind of food he would normally eat and despite that she couldn’t cook very well . So he ate the food , turned off the water at the mains and removed the old fitting and replaced it with the new adaptable and easy to fit plastic junction fitting before he wished her a pleasant evening . He had to tell her more than twice that he had to go home because Midge would be worried where he was . So on his way out the door he told the widow that he would drop in the next day on his way home from work to see how the new fitting was going . Then as Charlie went outside onto the street her never saw the wind coming until it lifted some papers and stuff into the air . tossing them around before blowing them to the other side of the street and doen the hill towards the waterfront . The next thing he knew his hat was lifted off his head which sent him chasing it around all over the place like a mad man . He eventually caught up with his hat and as the wind died down . By the time he got home Midge wa standing there with a frown on her face .

“Hi Midge , let me tell you what happened ”

He said ad Midge pushed over and smelt the whiskey on his breath .

So you called into the pub on the way home then Charlie “

As soon as Charlie began to speak Midge cut in saying ,

:”So there you are . After all these years . Never a bad word between us and me always waiting here for you to come home . Charlie I was worried something had happened to you especially after that fit you had a while ago “

Charlie replied

“Sorry Midge , I know how you must feel but you see the widow Murphy called out to me as I was passing her house . Her pipes had a leak and there was a flood in her house . I couldn’t say no . Mick and I worked together in the custom house so I felt it was a duty of care thing I had to do . “:

Midge relented and said ,

“Sure you’re a kind man Charlie and I know it must be awful hard for her to get things done . Get changed now and we’ll have some food  “

Charlie didn’t tell her he had eaten in the widow Murphys and did his best to clean up the food on his plate .

Life in Safe harbour was always filled with unguarded moments .Like postmen who needed help to deliver cards around Christmas time and window cleaners who asked passers by to hold the ladder steady as they went up to clean the upstairs windows of the house they were working on .. At anytime , anyone could be asked to do something for someone and rarely would they be disappointed . Time after time  things happened that would restore the good faith in humanity . Safe Harbour was a place where people cared and shared , felt the need and helped to do what was necessary for the sake of others .

Midge and Charlie sat up talking about how difficult it would be if one of them passed away .

“I don’t know what I’d do if you went Charlie”

And then Charlie would repeat the same thing back to her . Then she said to him

“Charlie I’ve forgotten all about the things I have stored in the sheds around the farm , as you well know the problem I had hoarding , but that’s all gone now . Any ways I was thinking about selling everything there . I’m sure someone might need those things and since your hours at work have been reduced it might give us some extra funds Charlie “

Charlie looked at her and smiled ,

“I must say Midge how proud I am of you and the way cut all that out of your life “

Midge replied ,

“I couldn’t have done it without you Charlie “

“ Well Midge lets get some posters made up for this this clearance sale and start to do some advertising for the big day “:

Midge was almost glittering with satisfaction and said ,

“Let’s make it a big dau out at the farm and have food for the people and some music too . It could be an event that would have people talking about it for years to come and it could make us a lot of money besides ,”

“Great idea Midge ;

Charlie said and so they started to make plans for the big clearance sale day. They made posters and spread the word from Hillend to Safe Harbour about the clearance sale with free food on offer at Paddy Powers farm at the last Sunday of the month and then every day they went and put price labels on all of the goods that were being sold . Midge had not realised just how much stuff she had accumulated over the years . With only days to go before the big day Midge was feeling apprehensive but ok about selling everything she had collected .  

On the day of the sale there were buskers performing all around the farm in the sheds where items were left for sale . There were pizza vans and hot potato stands fish and chips and other fast food vans around the farm that offered finger treats for the people who paraded past . There was an aromatic smell of coffee and donuts wafting through the still morning air .

People arrived in buses and in trucks in search of a bargain . Mr and Mrs Dowling  .
came to snap up anything that interested them . Luckily enough for everyone there was a large variety of items for sale . Some of the shoppers had a shopping list with a number of specific things they were looking for that included the colour , the size and designer label, or the model number and make they were after . The wonder of it all was that some people came with no money expecting to get things for free and that wasn’t an issue because Midge was really just wanting to get rid of everything she had been acquiring most of her life . It was a cleansing experience for her and a freeing up of all phobias as well .

There were so many items on display , lamps and torchlights , handbags and leather gear , earrings for necklaces , wrist watches , coffee cups , carving knives , scarfs and shawls make up . stall after stall had household goods packed into crates and  boxes begging to be bought . What a sight it was to see , bargains of every shape and size , from clothes and clogs to smocks and socks and clocks . There were carpets and rugs , radios and records , CD;s and DVD;s , Cassettes and reel to reel tapes , gas lighters , writing pens , magazines and books stuffed animals , statues , sofa beds and lounge suites , arm chairs and greeting cards , linen and ropes perfume and soaps , model ships and trains , trains and planes , porcelain dolls and  silverware , caps and hats and belts and delph ornaments , antique’s and designer wear , curio’s and , works of art , boot and shoes everywhere on tables and in bags and boxed as queues of people passed by , stopping to look and pull through the piled of things that Midge had collected for many years .

Midge watched and walked among the crowds who walked through . Charlie and Midges parents each had a stall to look after while the hired help were in charge of all the other stalls . Music played and the sun shone down all around the place. There was no doubt that the items for sale  were foir young and old , They had style and beauty they were unusual and quaint . Old friends who hadn’t seen each other for years reconnected as they browsed through the stalls . Cash was rolling in and Midge didn’t mind a bit loosing all her collection of goods . Theres always one bad apple in every bunch and somebody had been pick pocketed in the crowd but luckily as the thief made her way to the gate she tripped and fell to the ground and as she tried to get up the owner of the purse quickly grabbed her and started to give her a shaking however the two security men who were hired for the day approached and quickly intervened before things got out of hand . They had a word with pick pocket who pleaded for them not to call the police , as she explained that she had just been released from prison and that didn’t want to go back inside . So the security had a word with Mr and Mors Powers who thought instead of calling the police , it might be a better idea to make an example of her in the hope that it would put her off stealing and she might change her ways .So they tied her to up to a post for everyone to see and placed a cardboard sign next to her that said ,

“Take My Picture - I’m A Pick Pocket “

No one called the police as they thought she had learnt her lesson and lots of people had taken her photo anyway so she had been named and shamed .After a while she was untied and allowed to leave . The rest of the day went very well without any other incident and with twilight falling and most of the goods already sold they would up the big clearance sale . There was food to take home for anyone who wanted it and everyone was happy .

End of Chapter 9

Charlie And Midge

A Novel By Paul McCann

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