CHAPTER THREE
-:- BLAKE-:-
I’m nervous about my interview as I really need this job. Stefan, my late husband, has left me with debts that I’ve been struggling to pay. He was a good man when I first dated him, and then married him. He worked hard but got into trouble when he started drinking heavily. It was stupid that he got drunk, had a one-nighter with a woman and she got pregnant.
Stefan got Yax pregnant, and his DNA proved that the baby was his. He moved himself into a home with her, spending half his time there, providing his son a roof over his head and food in his mouth.
Me! Well, I was working, paying our bills and keeping my own head above water, but all the time I was getting further into debt because once Stefan ran out of the ability to borrow more money on his own, he started using my name. Sighing because it doesn’t matter how many times I think about it, nothing can be changed.
Leaving my last job after the salary was cut drastically, I have scrambled to find more work. I’ve done all types to earn money, cleaning, cooking, serving, even walking pets. Now I’m hoping that I can get the job at the Coffee House, which is exactly as described, it sells every kind of coffee you can imagine and every panini to go along with it.
Looking in my purse I check I have the loose change, which happens to be all I have left to live on until I get paid from whatever job I can get. My freezer is emptying fairly fast, with me constantly having to eat what I had been able to freeze, even down to leftovers.
Okay, Blake, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Onwards and upwards. This has become my mantra to survive the days and weeks.
Closing the door of my small house I check the time and start walking. It will take me around twenty-five-minutes to walk to the interview. I’m just pleased it is a nice morning.
Reaching the coffee house I quickly walk inside and step up to the counter. It’s quiet with it still being early, and the young man behind the counter looks up from where he has been working.
“Good morning. My name is Blake Carroway and I’m here for an interview.”
“Oh, come on through Blake. I’m Liam the manager of the place. We can go through to the kitchen and talk about what’s needed where it’s a little more private.”
Liam is young to be a manager, and it has me thinking that maybe he’s a good man if he is being trusted to run this place. I follow him through to the kitchen and he points to a table and chairs on one side. I quickly walk over and take a seat, watching while Liam grabs two cups and fills them from a coffee machine in one corner of the kitchen.
“Help yourself to sugar and cream,” Liam says as he takes a seat and places the cup in front of me.
“Thank you.” I add a spoon of sugar and take a sip, keeping my eyes trained on Liam. I give him a smile as that is a good cup of coffee.
“If you can fill out the application form before we get into anything else, that would be great.” Liam hands me a form and a pen, and I quickly fill out my name, address, and the past jobs I’ve held.
“I see you are a widow. I’m sorry to hear that, Blake,” Liam gives me a look full of pity but he doesn’t need to.
“Oh, that’s okay. I was about to divorce him anyway, if I’m honest. It’s a long story and if I get the job, I may tell it to you one day.” I give him a smile to show him I’m not mourning my husband to the point he has to walk on tenterhooks around me. The fact is I did love Stefan with all my heart at one time, but it had gradually died with all the heartbreak he caused.
“Your application says you’ve worked serving previously?”
“Yes, I worked at Sylvia’s Diner for three years, but she remarried, sold the business and moved to Connecticut with her new husband. It was a nice diner and the regulars were amazing. I left when the new owner was far too demanding. She wanted more hours from the servers for the same money, and it was beyond reasonable. I left the diner and took the cleaning job I’ve mentioned.” I point to the application form where the job is described.
“Okay, what I’d like to do is employ you on a trial basis. How do you feel about a two-month trial? You come in Monday through to Friday. Eight-thirty until five-thirty, and yeah, I know that’s a fairly long day and it’s only a half-hour lunch, but the pay is good.”
Liam is watching for my reaction, and I’m well aware this is about as good as it will get for me at the moment. “I am more than happy with that arrangement.”
“Okay, it’s Friday today, so start Monday morning. Be on time, and I’ll make sure to be here to introduce you and get you started.”
I stand from the table, holding my hand out to shake at the same time I speak with some relief in my voice I’m sure. “Thank you, Liam. I’ll not be late, and I’ll not let you down.”
With a sense of relief and achievement, I steadily start to walk back to my house. Window shopping as I pass, thinking maybe one day I’ll be able to do more than just that. Window shopping that is!
Standing on the edge of the sidewalk waiting to cross the road, I hear a woman behind me speaking loudly. “Heather is looking for someone to take on evenings and weekend work. Not sure she’ll get it, but the business has a lot of customers, and with taking on some of the elderly in the community who are struggling to keep their homes nice, she wants someone that is happy to work with them during off peak hours.”
“Well, the business has been good to the town. Heather doesn’t work as many hours now, but her business partner Alf runs the place like a damn drill master. He took on external contracts too. But he told Bren, who works all over the damn place that he needs someone fast.”
Overhearing this gossip is giving me an idea how I can earn more, and use that second income to pay off my debts much faster. Turning I smile at the two women, “Excuse me, but I couldn’t miss overhearing what you were saying. I’d like to speak to the person who’s looking for a worker.”
“Oh, that’s cool. Contact Alf at Helping Hands Cleaning Service, tell them you spoke to Ellie. I work for them along with my sister Bren. It’s a great place to work and you’ll not regret it if you want to work in the evenings and weekends.”
“Thank you, I’ll go along and enquire.” I give her a smile and I’ve seen the business office in the past so I know where it is, but it’s going to take me some time to walk to it.
Turning I make my way in the direction of the business, and I have to admit I have a little spring in my step. Maybe things are going to pick up for me now?
Half an hour later my legs are aching but I’ve reached the business. The door is locked and rubbing my forehead while I sigh, I notice a contact mobile phone number. Taking my phone out of my purse I snap a picture of the card, check the number is clear for me to use, and start the walk home. I’ll give the business a call later when I’ve had something to eat and a drink.
By the time I get home, have a sandwich with the stale bread I have left, and a jar of jelly in the fridge, I sip the last of the iced tea I have before plucking up the courage to make the call.
Waiting for someone to pick up the call, I tap my fingers on the kitchen table, where I’m sitting with a notepad and pen. If I have to take notes I’m ready, I don’t want to be caught napping.
“Hello. Helping Hands Cleaning Service, how may I help you?”
“Oh, hello. I am enquiring as to a position with your company that Ellie told me was being offered. A position where I would be required to work evenings and weekends?”
“Yes, we do have a position along those lines. Have you worked with a cleaning company previously?” Now the gentleman sounds interested so maybe they have been struggling to get someone to fill this position.
“I have worked a cleaning job previously. I’ve also worked in the kitchen of a nursing home, so have experience working with elderly people.” I throw that in as I think it may help if the information I’ve overheard is correct.
The conversation is thrown back and forth, questions and answers asked and given. The man introduced himself as Alf and said he’d be my boss if he gave me a chance with the position. I gave him my name and the fact I was a widow with no commitments as in family.
“Can you come into the office in the morning? Say ten o’clock?”
“I can, yes,” I quickly respond.
“Okay, bring any references you have, and we’ll see what we can do about you having a trial with the hours given.”
“I will bring what I have, and thank you. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Ten in the morning then, Blake.”
Smiling, I can’t help but think things are looking better now than they did this morning. Noticing the mail I’d brought in earlier I pick up the one that looks like it’s hand written, and yeah, it’s Yax’s hand writing. The woman is a menace and is getting worse as time passes. Tearing the letter open, I grind my teeth because she has to be out of her head.
Dear Blake,
As you are Franklin’s step-mother you have a duty to supply an income for his well-being. I will be sending you a breakdown of how much per month you will need to give to me.
I’m not going to struggle to bring up your husband’s son on my own. You have a legal obligation to provide a home, schooling and everything else he may need.
I will be in touch again soon.
Yax
I’m not sure this woman is sane because there is no way I’ll be supplying a dime to her, or for her son’s upbringing. I’ve never met the child even though he is six-years old. Stefan has been dead for four years now, and yet she’s only just starting to want money?
It makes no sense, but if I need to I’ll sell the house she lives in, which is in my name. When Stefan got the house I didn’t know he’d put it in my name, making sure that Yax could never claim it.
I think Stefan had to know what kind of person Yax is, and that she trapped him knowingly. He, however, didn’t want to leave his only child without a father, and that’s why he spent half his time with Yax and Franklin.
He really loved his son and didn’t want to leave him alone with his mother, but he did anyway when he crossed the street without looking and was mowed down by a passing vehicle. He never knew what hit him and I’m thankful for that.
The good thing is when Stefan died and his will reading happened, it was an up-to-date will, and he’d stipulated that everything he owned came to me. He did mention his son, but left him nothing because let’s face it, he had nothing worth leaving. Both the house that Yax lives in and mine are in my name, and always have been. In his way, Stefan tried to secure my future, and ensure Yax couldn’t touch what I’d worked hard for.
Stefan knew I was talking about getting divorced, and he understood why I needed to step away from him, and the mess he was having to deal with.
We had completed the paperwork, which I still have showing that Stefan relinquished any claim to anything we’d accrued during our marriage. One of the things I’m sad about was the fact we’d agreed not to have children until we were in a position we could afford to get a better home, and future for any children we may have. Yet he gained a son with someone else.
Even to this day I have no idea why Stefan started drinking as heavily as he did. We were both working, saving well, and our future was looking good…until he started hitting the bottle with his friends. Then things just got harder for us, and the tension began.
Stefan didn’t give Franklin his last name, he refused to be tied like that for my sake. But I always felt it was unfair for the child, as he’d not know he was loved by his father, and giving him his last name would have been the right thing to do.
Shaking my head to get out of my morbid thoughts, I throw the letter into the basket where I keep anything I think needs to be followed up on. It may come to a point I have to seek out a lawyer’s help to stop this madness.