Chapter 2

John was in the kitchen reading his newspaper when he heard Sam coming down the stairs. The dog had obviously been used to sleeping inside someone's house at some time, because he went and stood by the back door, waiting to be let out. John had been out earlier and bought some tinned dog food and biscuits, which he put down on the floor with some water. Sam was eating when Jo came down.

"Hey ... you trying to steal my dog, Mister!" she said, but then she smiled. She looked at the clock on the wall: it was nearly eleven:

"Sorry! I was reading until quite late, and then the bed was so warm and comfortable! I'd probably be in there now, if Sam hadn't of wanted to go out!"

"I'm glad you slept well! Where would you have usually gone?"

"Oh, you know what it's like: you look for somewhere quiet and dry! And speaking of dry, my old sleeping bag is a bit damp, I need to do something about it! And thanks for doing my clothes for me!"

"What about the one's you had on yesterday: do you want to do those, too?"

"If you don't mind!"

"What would you like for breakfast, Jo: there's toast, or cereal? Or I could do you bacon and eggs?"

"I really don't mind, John! Maybe cereal ... I haven't had that in a long time!"

He got her a bowl and a spoon, then passed her a cereal packet and then milk from the fridge.

"Where do you usually get your clothes from?"

"The Salvation Army," she said, between mouthfuls of cereal, " ... or you can ask the charity shops if they have anything not good enough to sell. Obviously I don't care what things look like, as long as they keep me warm!"

"This might sound like a silly question ... but what's the worst thing for you about sleeping rough?"

Jo thought about this while she was eating.

" ... Well, you get used to being cold and hungry, and I've got Sam for company! I suppose ... and I think you'll probably know what I'm talking about ... I'm on the streets, but I'm still a woman! I can't just go and buy what I need, so I have to improvise and make do the best I can!"

"Yes ... I know what you're talking about! We ... men ... have it lucky in that respect ... it must be very uncomfortable for you..."

"I knew you'd understand, John ... you seem like the sort of bloke who would appreciate that! Is it all right if I make some tea ... would you like one?"

"Yes, please! Make yourself at home ... you know where everything is! And what we were just talking about ... do you need anything at the moment?"

She smiled at him.

"Soon. But you don't have to ... you've done a lot already!"

"Do you remember what we were talking about yesterday, Jo ... about getting your life back on track ... well, you're going to need a bit more help, aren't you!"

"Yeah ... I suppose ... but I didn't really think ... I thought you were just being kind!"

"No! I meant it all! I think you're as bright as you said you are! That room upstairs is yours for as long as you want it, and there are still several months before the new college courses begin, so we have time to find out what you need. And I certainly do think we need to get you some more clothes ... teachers really do need to wear underwear, you know!" Jo laughed, and John laughed with her.

John took Jo into town. First they went to get what she wanted for her toiletry and personal hygiene needs. Then they went to a large department store, where he bought her several pairs of jeans, various shirts, and new underwear. She hadn't worn a bra in quite a while, but John persuaded her that some sort of support was probably a good idea in her case! An assistant helped her choose some that she thought that she could live with. Sam waited patiently outside the shops while they were inside.

They then went to the nearest Further Education college, which was just over twenty miles away, were she was given advice about classes for the Autumn. Jo told them what GCSE's she had done at school and what grades she had achieved. She said that she had left all the certificates in Salford, and she wasn't sure if she could get them back. The college said that if she could remember which exam boards issued her certificates, she could probably get replacements, which she would need to get onto any courses; now and in the future.

The college also told her that unfortunately they didn't do one-year A-level courses any more: they were now all two-year courses, with the first year being the AS award, which only counted as half an A-level. Some people had tried to do both years together; but logistically and practically it was difficult, and they didn't recommend it. John asked if they could make the initial application while they were there, and Jo was given the forms to fill in: she chose English and History, her two favourites at school. And while they were out, John also took Jo to register with his doctor's surgery and the dentist. They made an appointment for her to have a dental check up, as he was due for one, too!

Jo was feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the time they got back to John's house: she couldn't remember a time in her life when so much had happened to her in one day! And then to top it off, John gave her a front door key, for her own use. She wasn't sure what was an appropriate way to thank him, so she kissed him on the cheek and briefly squeezed his hand. He smiled at her. John made them dinner, and then Jo spent the rest to the evening on John's sofa, reading.

"What do you know about computers, Jo?" John asked her, the next day over breakfast.

"Not much! They never had them at our school!"

"You really need to learn!" he said, "You are going to have lots of papers to write for your courses, and most of them will be word processed! There's also the Internet, that you can use for studying and research ... and you'll need an email address, of course! You don't want to turn up in schools and find that the kiddies know more about computers than you!"