Chapter 28

Rebecca

While Rory was at work today I met with both our mums. They wanted to discuss with me the running of our Loan Fund. My dad had talked about it to the local Employers Federation, the Chamber of Commerce and at the Rotary, but despite this we had not been inundated with applications. This worried my mum because she was almost certain it was due to the fact that the message we were here to help was not getting across.

"I know that you have asked daddy to find you something to do in his business darling" she said to me. "I would like to make and alternative suggestion. Why don't you get some work experience with us instead? After all you don't have all much time left before you will be back at school."

"What would you want me to do?" I asked "I was looking to work for dad so that I could get some experience of what went on, but just as much to let the people know who I am."

"I appreciate that dear, but I was thinking one of the hardest and most important jobs that we have does not take place in the factories at all. It happens out in the country where our sales force is trying to get the orders that will keep our factories busy. What I am going to suggest will give you some idea of what it is like to be part of that very important group of people."

"What are you suggesting I do?" I wanted to know.

"I would like you to get a list of all the small businesses in the area and then start calling on them," my mum said. "You could then talk to them about the purpose of our loan fund and at the same time enquire about what their needs are at this moment,"

"I might be a bit young for that kind of task mum," I replied, "Not because I could not do it, but because they might not take me seriously."

"You will be calling on them as Miss Rebecca McFarlane," Rory's mum said.

"More than that as the daughter David McFarlane you will be calling on them on behalf of an enterprise that is mainly run by McFarlane Enterprises. With that name and that firm behind you I think you will find that they will take you seriously enough to give you a hearing."

"Mary is right," My mum said, "Once you get in there, I have every confidence that you will be able to make them take you seriously."

"Where would I start because I would need to know what the small businesses are and where they are?" I said. "That alone might take up a lot of my time.

"Start with the council." My mum said "They have an enterprise section which seeks to encourage new small businesses and offers help and advice to existing ones." Then there is the Government run Enterprise Scheme they will give you more names. The chamber of commerce will be able to help and perhaps tell you about other ways you can compile your list."

As she was talking, an idea struck me and I decided I would put this to them before making up my mind.

"We have another student who is on our committee," I told them. "Would it not be wise to bring him in on this also? Like Rory he is very computer literate and would be well able to help me with the compiling of list and such like."

"I don't see why not," my mum said. "But as we are going to fund this out of our grant and donation account, if we have more than one employee, then I think we would have to reduce the wages to that of the minimum level appropriate for your age group."

"Mum I have a very adequate allowance and don't need to be paid," I told her, "But since you are paying and were willing to employ more than one person, I will do a deal with you. I will work for nothing and we can also hire Kenny's girlfriend. She is a daughter of the head of a very prominent lawyer who is also on our committee and that might cause her to be taken seriously too,"

"Listen to this girl who said she might not be taken seriously," Mary said with a laugh. "We started off wanting to hire her and already she us upped the ante to three employees."

My mum joined in the laughter and I giggled and said,

"I am just doing my bit to try and reduce the youth unemployment figures."

"I will take your deal and you can approach your candidates with the offer of a job," my mum said still laughing.

With that she looked at her watch and said, "It is almost eleven am. I think it is time for a tea and coffee break. Since we are nice and trim and don't appear to need to watch our figures I bought a nice line in cakes from the local baker just for this occasion. I take it you will join us Rebecca?"

"Certainly mother," I replied. "I might even expect to have these kind of perks should we have to meet again to discuss my project."

"I told you," Mary said. "We have a woman here who drives a hard bargain."

We all giggled at that remark.

Rory

Most of my day was spent going round the machines where Inspectors had to check the tolerances on the parts being machined. With some parts it was not only the diameters which had to be checked but also the pitch between the centres as with the machining of connection rods for pistons. In both cases we are talking of an accuracy of within three thousands of an inch. I could have worked out the pitches in my head for I was very good at trigonometry, but that wasn't necessary as they were marked on the parts drawing.

What this did for me though was to get me introduced to each of the machinists whose work we checked. Especially when I was going round with George there was much laughter between him and the men. He constantly informed them that they should be like him and bow and scrape when I approached, because one day I might be heading the whole enterprise and they should make sure they stayed on my right side. I usually told them that they way he was behaving, all the bowing and scraping he was doing was going to count for nothing because if he kept this up, he would be first on my hit list. Then I added, but by time I might work my way up to that position, an old guy like him would have been put to grass long before then. So I would be reduced to trying to find sneaky ways to reduce his pension.

Since most of the time I held my own with George and gave as good as I got, the men had a good laugh and they quickly came to accept me as one of them. It struck me though as I was making these rounds, that by the time I finished my stint in this part of the factory I would be on first name terms with most of the guys. I made a note to myself to try and remember their names, not just for the time I was here, but on every occasion I met them thereafter. I felt that if you wanted men and women to know that you cared about them, letting them know that you knew who they were was a good way to do that.

Although it was not hard Physical labour, Just being on your feet all day and meeting and talking with so many people was fairly exhausting. I was glad the Rebecca had made sure I kept fit. But even so, by the end of the day I was glad to hear the factory hooter letting us know that it was time to go home.

As I was making my way to the bike shed my mobile rang and it was Rebecca to tell me that we were eating at her mum's house and then we were going out with Ken and Marjorie. So much for the concern of the rich employers for a poor working class boy, I moaned to myself. Especially for one like me who was exhausted by his first day at work. Then I giggled to myself and knew if I let that thought escape before my lady, I certainly would be in for a bout of severe punishment.

When I got home Rebecca greeted me with a kiss that started off as a peck then blossomed into a full passionate tongue twisting humdinger. So much so that Ruth came out of the kitchen and saw us.

"Get a room you two," she said. Then she giggled, "But then maybe not, the poor boy would probably be too exhausted after his first hard day at the factory."

Rebecca broke of the kiss and then turned to her mother with an evil grin and said.

"Mum there are two things you should remember, the first is that you are married to an older man, and the second is that I drag this one off to the gym every week just so that he can keep up his stamina."

"Ooh!" Ruth said indignantly, "You have done it now young lady. I will have you know that I keep my man fit as well and he is more than up to a bit of nookie after a hard day's work. But I will pass on your remarks to him and I do believe that despite your generous offer earlier today you may find yourself facing a cut in your allowance."

At that she walked past us into David's office and I swear there was a pronounced wiggle to her delightful bottom just for our benefit."

Rebecca took my hand and led me upstairs to our room.

"You will want a shower and change before dinner." she said "But something casual for this evening will do. It is a down market coffee and cake meeting tonight as I have a proposition for our friends."

"I'm intrigued," I told her, "What was that all about with your mother and what was your generous offer and how does it relate to the threatened cut in your allowance? You can also add this to your list; what on earth made you talk like that in front of your mother."

"I have spent most of the day with your mother and my mother, and it was an eye opener," she said. "I Don't know how, but your mother knows about the size of your equipment and she told my mum and they have been kidding me all day about how I managed to handle it. That is when they were not discussing the attributes of their own spouses. So I decided enough was enough and I have just retaliated."