Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
14 June 1969
Maura
I finish work on a Saturday, a week before my wedding day. Ger throws her arms around me and tells me that I’m the best friend she’s ever had. She cries and so do I. Some of the other girls shed a tear or two. But one of them announced her own engagement last week and the other is going steady with a nice chap from Cork, so I suspect they will both be leaving soon enough too. Dick appears on the shop floor fifteen minutes before my shift ends. He gives me a small bouquet of pink carnations and passes me a letter. I know without opening it that it’s from senior management. I’ve seen other girls receive the same crisp white envelope over the years.
“Goodbye and good luck,” Dick says, shaking my hand.
“Thank you.”
Dick walks away shaking his head and I’ve no doubt the headache of training my replacement is putting him in a bad mood.
One of our regulars is in buying a new hat for Sunday mass.
“Are you leaving?” she asks, sounding disappointed.
She glances at the flowers in my hand and the envelope tucked under my arm. I nod, past the point of pushing out words without tears.
“New job or getting married?” she asks.
“Married.” I sniffle.
“Ah, isn’t that nice.”
I ring up her purchase of a maroon hat with a feather at the side and make my final sale with mixed feelings of nostalgia and dreamy excitement. When she leaves, I open the envelope Dick gave me.
Switzers Department Store
88 Grafton Street
Dublin 2
14th June 1969
Miss M. Flynn
12 Birch Road
Rathgar
Dublin 6
Dear Miss Flynn,
The management and staff of Switzers Department Store would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your marriage. It has been our pleasure working with you and we wish you well in the future.
Sincerely,
Mr. P. Wright,
Managing Director
“Hypocrites,” Ger complains, snatching the letter from my hands and waving it above her head. I hold my breath as a vision of her burning it races through my mind.
“?‘Wish you well,’?” she mimics. “Lies. Bloomin’ lies. Wish you goodbye and good riddance. That’s what they mean.”
I jump up and take the letter back. I fold it and place it in the pocket of my pinafore. I think about how strange it will be to take this uniform off and never put it back on again. There is a sudden, sharp pang of regret. I press my hand to my chest and let silent tears trickle down my cheeks. I have loved working in Switzers. I love the fashion and the people, the staff and the customers. I will miss the thrill of ringing up a big sale or telling a customer that their chosen emerald jumper brings out the green in their eyes. I might even miss Dick, although I doubt that. I’ve put my heart and soul into this job for almost six years and it will be hard to walk out the door for the final time. But my heart belongs to Christy now. How lucky am I? I push the feelings aside and concentrate on the chapter ahead.