Chapter 6: Shopping For Clothes

“Now,” he continued, “Your hours are whatever they need to be, and you decide that. Your pay is ten per cent over the government approved Living Wage with a minimum of 20 hours a week payable. That should help a lot, especially as you can get one good meal a day here and I’ll throw in a season ticket from Greenacres to here on the bus. I will provide the necessary protective clothes, like aprons, gloves and so forth.”

“That’s very generous. I accept,” said Wendy, “but one good meal a day here? How do I do that?”

“Well you will be here most days I expect and when it gets round to lunch time you simply make a decent meal from whatever is in the larder. I usually have a reasonable amount in. Certainly there is always meat of some kind, eggs, vegetables and basic ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, lard and so forth. Often there is a meal ready cooked as I hate cooking for one, so I do at least two portions and then use the rest the next day or two. Go and have a look.”

Obediently, David noticed, she went to look and then came back nodding her head. “There’s certainly plenty there. Don’t you have to throw away a good deal when it gets past its ‘best-before’ date?”

“No. I don’t throw anything away. If the ‘use by’ date means anything I drop it off a couple of days before at the night shelter where they make meals for the homeless and can use almost anything. If the ‘use by’ date is meaningless, like say,” he paused thinking for a moment, “honey, which keeps for ever, I just ignore the age. OK, the honey will, over time, invert but it doesn’t go bad.”