Chapter 1: Lens First Footings

‘If you want to come and talk your problem over with me.’ Lewis told him, ‘I have the use of a private room behind a local shop. I’m sure I can help you. If Len thinks there’s something good in you, then I’d like to try. But that’s up to you.’ He read out his number and Butler put it in his phone.

‘Now I am unarresting you,’ Lewis told him. ‘You are free to go. Are you staying here or leaving.’ ‘Leaving.’ Butler said. ‘Ok, can you give me a lift?’ Lewis asked, ‘It’ll save the sergeant coming back for me.’

Butler was so relieved he would have taken him anywhere. When Butler dropped him off at the shops, Lewis watched him drive away before going in.

As he passed through, he told Mike that Len and Ernie would be along at any moment. Mike was used to strange happenings around Lewis, but it puzzled him how Ernie could now be involved.

A few moments later Ernie and Len arrived. They went in and found Mike behind the counter. Mike waved them through, ‘He’s in the back,’ he told them.

They went through and Len went straight over and gave Lewis a hug. ‘Thank you so much.’ he said. Then he smiled at Ernie as he said to Lewis ‘You should have seen Ernie perform; he deserves an Oscar.’

‘Sit down.’ Lewis said as he made them coffees. Mike came in having closed the shop. He shook hands with Ernie and said, ‘Hi,’ to Len. ‘I’ll get off and leave you to it.’ he said. ‘Lewis,’ Len called out, ‘I don’t mind Mike knowing.’

‘Sit down,’ Lewis told Mike, ‘I’ll make another coffee.’ Lewis gave Mike a quick but edited update on what had happened. Len then told them what Ernie had done. Mike and Lewis laughed, then when Ernie told them about him shaking with nerves afterwards, they all laughed again.

Lewis looked at Len and told him, ‘He’s a big softie really,’ he said smiling. ‘I know,’ Len said, ‘I realise that now, but if you’d heard him with Jeff, you’d never have believed it.’

‘Now,’ Ernie said, ‘Jeff offered you a three month’s trial which should have been thirteen weeks plus one weeks paid holiday. He was paying you the basic rate for your age group of five pounds per hour for a forty-hour week. So far you have had three weeks wages. Is that right?’

‘Yes,’ Len said as it started to sink in that he was now out of work. ‘If you had stayed the full three months,’ Ernie told him, ‘You would have been paid a further ten weeks at two hundred pounds a week, plus a week’s paid holiday, so you would have received two thousand two hundred pounds from him.’

Ernie put his hand in his inside pocked, pulled out a wad of banknotes and put them on the table. ‘That is from Jeff in compensation for your lost earnings and experiences.’ he said. Len had been so alarmed at seeing Ernie threatening Jeff, that he hadn’t really taken in anything about the finance that Ernie and Jeff had been doing. So, it came as a complete shock to him.

Lewis had been counting it. ‘Two thousand, two hundred pounds,’ he announced passing it over towards Len. ‘I don’t know what to say,’ Len told them, ‘Or what to do. How can I explain that to mum without her knowing what happened?’

‘Well,’ Lewis said, ‘You could just say nothing, keep the money and pay yourself two hundred pounds a week whilst you go full time job hunting.’

‘Surely I’d find a job then,’ Len said looking pleased at the idea. ‘However,’ Lewis said, ‘I think Ernie has an alternative suggestion.’

Everyone looked at Ernie. ‘I have a lot of work coming up,’ Ernie said, ‘That would be a lot easier for an old fellow like me if I had an extra pair of hands. So, I would like to offer you three months trial working with me. During that trial, unlike your last job, you will learn something about building.’

Lens face was a picture. ‘Now,’ Ernie said, ‘For those three months I would pay you the same, five pounds an hour. What happens after three months we will have to wait and see, but at least if it didn’t continue, you would leave with some more knowledge of building, and a good reference.’

‘With regards to all this money, my suggestion would be that you put it in your bank account and tell your mum a little white lie. Tell her you have moved jobs for more experience and better pay. Tell her you are getting three hundred pounds a week and make up the difference from your savings each week.’

‘If you leave after three months, you’d still have around nine hundred pounds left to tide you over. If you stay on, then it will mean that we are getting along really well. It should also mean that you have learnt enough for a pay rise.’

Len was clearly over the moon at everything that was happening. Then he went quiet. Lewis spotted it and said, ‘Somethings worrying you, isn’t it?’ Len nodded, ‘It’s the idea of having all that money in my bank whilst mums struggling. Plus, I’ve never lied to her before.’

Ernie had liked Len from first meeting, that’s why he had made the suggestion to Lewis that he should take him on. But hearing him say that convinced him even more.

Then Mike chipped in. ‘I have an idea,’ he said looking at Len. ‘The money is still on the table, so as you haven’t yet picked it up, it’s still technically in Ernie’s care.’

‘Why not leave it in his care and let Ernie use it to add a hundred pounds a week to your wages until it’s all gone. If there’s any left at the end of three months and you leave, you can take what’s left as severance pay.’

‘Then all you need to say to your mum is the truth. You’ve left your old job because you could see you were just getting used. You’ve found a better job where you’ll get trained and you’re going to earn three hundred pounds a week.’

‘That’s true enough, and your mum is never going to query how the three hundred pounds is made up, so you won’t need to lie.’ Len looked at Ernie, ‘That’s a perfect answer,’ he said, ‘Would you do that for me?’ ‘Of course I will,’ Ernie said.

‘I’ve just thought of something else,’ Len said, ‘How did we meet, mum’s bound to ask me that?’ Lewis looked at Ernie and told him, ‘In his effort to change jobs, Len put an advert in Bateson’s, the local builder’s merchants.’

‘I go there often,’ Ernie said. ‘Ok, what’s your phone number Len?’ he asked. He put it in his phone then pressed dial. Lens phone rang and when he answered it, it was Ernie. ‘Hi Len,’ Ernie said, ‘I’ve just heard about your advert in Bateson’s. ‘Will you come and work for me for a trial period of three months.’ ‘Yes, I’d love to, thank you.’ Len replied. ‘Good. Start Friday, I’ll collect you at home at nine am.’ Ernie said and hung up.

Len laughed then he got up and went round to him. He gave him a hug. ‘Thank you for everything,’ he said, ‘But especially the job.’ Ernie hugged him back looking quite moved.

Then Len went round to Lewis. ‘All this is because you sensed I was worried,’ he told him, ‘You’re a marvel.’ He hugged him too and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Then he went to Mike. ‘I can’t leave you out,’ he said, ‘Your part of my new life too.’ He gave him a hug which Mike happily returned.

Ernie had pulled out his phone, he took Lens full name and address. ‘Tomorrow,’ he said, ‘I have things to do, ‘So you have a day off paid for by Jeff. Friday morning I’ll collect you at home at nine o’clock. Will your mum be home?’

When Len said, ‘Yes.’ Ernie said, ‘Good, you can introduce us before we go to work, I’m sure she’d like to know who you’re working with.’ ‘That would be nice.’ Len said.

They all got up to leave. As they went out Lewis told Len to come to the shop for five on Saturday if he wanted to have his lesson. ‘I’ll be there,’ Len said, ‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’

THURSDAY

The next day Ernie went in to the local council offices to see the Health and Safety department. He gave them the bag with the bucket in and the address where he had got it from. He explained his belief that the plaster could be toxic. Also, about Jeff using a supply of youngsters obtained through the local unemployment office to strip it all out without providing proper protective gear. He added that Jeff was even using his own nephew to do it too.