The Key and the Broken Wing, Page 4

  Chapter Two

  The small shop where Jezzabell worked was being painted into wintery colours. Most of these painters were at the back of shop. They ripped the rainbow paper off the wall. All of the shelves had been moved into the centre of the room leaving the china dolls easy to reach.  Many of them had reduced prices on them but the taller ones dressed in green robes sat next to the counter near the assistant who looked old and tired. The book mark stand carefully lodged itself between the figurines and the box of pencils, pens and rubbers lay on top of one another. In the right hand corner of the shop next to the office, the seaside images of posters and prints had not been moved and the flags rolled around the room.

       "Sorry I'm late," Jezzabell came rushing in. The assistant brushed her long white hair to the side of her face and smiled.

       "It's alright, I was late again this morning," she yawned. She picked up the green price tags from the back of the counter and started to write the date on them. Jezzabell glanced around the untidy shop and she picked one of the poster tubes up. She opened the lid to lift the poster out, checked the number and shook her head.

       "Sarah, what happened to the shop?" she asked. Sarah had not heard her and carried on writing with her pen.  Jezzabell walked over to the window, moved her hands around the box of tubes. She picked one up and sighed in relief.

       The Office door swung open. Out came the tall fat boss with a piece of paper in his hand. His Greasy Yellow hair curled down to his chubby cheeks, his white teeth were jolting up and down and then, as he came closer to her. A white button fell of his shirt. He picked it up and placed it in his black trouser pocket.

       "Your late Jezzabell, here is the next shift. Tomorrow without pay as lateness will give you an extra day’s work," he said pulling his grey tie towards the loose collar. He wandered over to the china dolls and picked the tallest one up. "Tidy this shop up, the painters had to take everything apart, it should have been you here earlier," he said. The painters put the brushes down into the pots and stood up to look at him. Two of them who were not wearing the shops uniform wore blue jeans and a black overall, but there pitiful faces appeared to look sharply at him.

       "I missed the tram, I'm only ten minutes late," Jezzabell pointed at the green clock that hung on the wall behind him.

       "And no more days off," he grinned at her. She pinched the shift pattern out of his hand and waited for him to go back into his office. He glared deeply into her eyes and then noticed Sarah leaning against the till.

       "Get back to work," he said stumbling back to his office.

       The painters carried painting and ripping the wall paper away from the wall. Sarah dashed over to her. Jezzabell huffed in shear frustration and held another thin brown tube.

       "He is right about you being late but the boss should be gentle with you, I hate him. I'll teach you how to use the till when he leaves at lunchtime. He managed to get the hotel manager to come and work here this afternoon. He claims to have a doctor’s appointment," the assistant patted Jezzabell' shoulder. She went over to the counter with the assistant, sat on the small green bench that hid underneath the counter and placed her face in her arms.

       "Don't cry," Sarah whispered and she gave her a tissue. Jezzabell watched the assistant open the till and passed a white envelope to her.

       "Open it," she urged Jezzabell to open the envelope. Opening it, Jezzabell pulled out a couple of twenty pound notes; she wiped her eyes and blushed.

       "I can't take this," she said.

       "It's last week wages. I don't see why you should give up one week’s wages because you had a holiday for two days,"

       "He'll go mad,"

       "No, he doesn't count the money in the till, he leaves it for me to cash up," Sarah sighed. Jezzabell glanced back at the painter’s backs and handed the money back to her.

       "I don't want his filthy money,"

       "Ok duck, but if you change your mind, she paused letting the painter walk past her and out of the shop door.” See me at lunch in the restaurant," Sarah quietly spoke to her.

       "Where are you?"

       "On break," Sarah replied leaving the shop.

       Later that morning when the painters were having their break, Jezzabell had neatly stacked the empty boxes on top of each other to make more room for the extra stands she had managed to find in the cupboard. She pushed the long narrow stand against the empty white shelf in the middle of the room; hooked them together with iron hooks which were out of old fishing rods and started to place the orange cat and brown dog figurines onto the middle shelf. 

       "I'll help you do the top shelf," Sarah said. Jezzabell bent down on her knees and pulled the tape off the edge leaving the rest of it to hang near the tiled floor. As she opened the box and tore the sides down to reveal a pile of round plates covered in green tracing paper. She lifted the first sheet away from the place and held it by the two tiny hooks that appeared to be stuck at the back with cello tape. Turning it round, the red and yellow trim with tiny words lay neatly outside the holographic picture. The words in the yellow and red trim were engraved in silver writing.

                                      "The old Frithy firth lived in the valley below before the ants invaded them.

   "Now it lies with the small town,"

       Jezzabell picked it up and watched the picture of the flowery red rose and pink violets turn into an image of dry sand. She shook it to create the image of the garden and passed it over to Sarah.

       "The old Frithy Firth use to be nice until the ants took over; the seagulls carried the seeds away from the valley below. They say it's in a lovely place but I just can't get there," Sarah spoke loudly.

       "Where is the small town?"

       "You do not want to know,"

       "Why?" Jezzabell asked handing Sarah another plate.

       "There is nothing to do but sit and relax. It can be found  near the New Frith le firth Gardens that take you to the beach,"

       "And Frith le firth is in," Jezzabell scratched her ear.

       "It's in Frithstatyn, no it's called The Frithstatyn, yes it is a quiet town," Sarah replied and fixed the plate on the wooden dish rack. Jezzabell looked up at the plates that stood side by side, the holographic picture turned green due to the sun shining on it and then a tiny piece of writing flickered in the centre of the plate.

       "When I finish this afternoon, I will go to Frithstatyn," she said.

       "Hi Jezzabell,” Kimberly walked in to the shop and headed straight into the office.

       Minutes later she came back out with the mean, miserable boss who seemed to grin at them. His tie had slackened down to his belly and his light hair that looked clean and curly now seemed to be full of wet water.  He completely walked past them and headed straight to the till.  Kimberley stood in between Sarah and Jezzabell making sure that they couldn't have eye contact with each other and then the till rung three times.

       "The envelopes in," Jezzabell whispered.

       "Shh," Kimberley replied. The till rang again and again, and the boss' grin churned into a nasty frown.

       "I'll change the role for you sir," Sarah' eyes lit up as Kimberley grabbed her hand. The boss's clenched fist thumped the till and the money tray flirted out spewing coins onto the floor. He bent down behind the counter picking each single silver and bronze coin, he counted them into pounds and then as he moved near the glass counter a small white envelope slid under the glass that displayed white, green and blue shells. Sarah broke Kimberley' grasp and stepped towards the counter, she stood over the small white corner of the envelope that showed clearly against the mirror that the painters had put up. He peered over the counter and looked down at her feet, raised his eyebrows, blushed and leaned bac
k onto the green stool.

       "I will see you tomorrow Sarah,” he smiled.

       "Yes, Yes sir," said Sarah. He put the coins back into the tray and pushed it back in, went away from the counter to check the poster display that Jezzabell had sorted.

       "Interesting, Jezzabell," he mumbled.

       After he had left, Sarah picked up the envelope and placed it in her back pocket.

       "What is in the envelope Sarah?" Kimberley asked.

       "Nothing, it's just an empty envelope, “she replied. Jezzabell gulped in shock ensuring herself that her aunts friend wouldn't bother the assistant. Jezzabell deliberately stepped back against the key ring stand and it wobbled. All of the yellow, green and white pens scattered across the floor, half of the rubbers snapped in half as they bounced off the china dolls and the plates that she had put up on display jerked against the wooden racks. Kimberley turned round to look at the mess and then as the long green pen rolled under her right foot, she began to slip. Jezzabell grabbed hold of her Kimberley’ arm and pulled her back up. Jezzabell let go of her arm. She picked the pen up that had slid under her aunt's friend. Kimberley starred right into Jezzabell’s eyes making her jump in fright and the last square rubber broke into tiny pieces.

       "Jezzabell,” Kimberley shouted in her long deep breaths. Jezzabell' face went white in fear; she slowly picked up the dust pan and brush and started to sweep the rubbers and pens together.

       "You can work for me in the caravan park for the rest of the holidays; Kimberley swiped the brush away from her hands.” I will tell the boss that you have quit due to the hot weather that has made you tired. You can meet me in the Butterfly park," she whispered into Jezzabell' ear. Jezzabell nodded in approval and Sarah handed the envelope over to Kimberley. She looked at the name on it and opened it up. Out came the notes and she ushered Sarah over towards the painters. Jezzabell stood silently waiting for Kimberley to talk to her but she watched her wander back over to the till and put the money back into the till. Jezzabell ran up to her.

       “Kimberley, I am sorry, it was my fault, I refused to have last weeks,"

       "I don't want to know, now get out of my sight!, She slammed the till shut and dialled 40.00, pressed enter and the till jumped out, "Here, have twenty, it will give you a week’s rent in one of my caravans now go and get ready for me," Kimberley spoke. Jezzabell's sour face and hurtful eyes peered over to Sarah, she waved at her to come near, Sarah shook her head in disapproval and she carried on flirting with the slim painter.

  “Meet me in Frith le Firth,” Kimberley said. Jezzabell huffed and she ran out of the shop in tears.