Bob of Small End (77 page)

There was no
time for more talking because the Big End High School band began
playing. After two short pieces the conductor put his baton down
and everyone clapped and two or three cheered. Bob watched the
camera crew at the side as it swung from the band to the front
seats when the chairman of the village committee and the local
member of parliament stood and walked towards the ribbon stretched
across the Centre’s front door. The chairman introduced the MP who
told a joke or two, said that the new Community Centre was
wonderful and cut the ribbon. More cheers, two songs from the
elementary school choir, an invitation for everyone to enjoy the
cake and drinks that were on the tables behind the band and an
invitation to the dance that would be held in the hall that
evening. It ended with the chairman saying “Come inside and see our
new Small End Community Centre.”

Joe told them
he wouldn’t stay any longer. “I was in earlier this week and I’ve
things to do at the farm.” Bob, Ken and Mary talked for a while
until most of the crowd had left the centre to line up for
refreshments then they walked to the Centre’s door.

They read the
two pages pinned to the notice board. One invited everyone to the
Opening Dance and the other sought volunteers to give courses,
coach sports, help in the office or cafeteria, or to join the
committees and groups that were being formed.

“
I think
I’ll volunteer, once the work settles down,” Bob told
Mary.

“
I might
too,” she replied. “What would you do?”

“
I
wouldn’t mind teaching bird carving. How about you?”

“
Cooking, if they don’t already have anyone doing that. Or
help in the office for one or two afternoons a week. What about you
Ken. Do you want to do anything?”

“
No, I
don’t think so. Maybe next year when the factory is looking after
itself.”

“
Factory?” asked Bob. “I hadn’t thought to call it
that.”

“
Well it
is a factory or will be, once we have everything working
properly.”

“
I
suppose so. Do you like the idea of being a factory manager
again?”

“
No, I
prefer starting them now, not managing them. I’ve done enough of
that, it’s time for a change.”

“
Well I
don’t want you to start another one Ken,” said Mary. “It takes you
away from home too much.”

They walked
along the halls and looked into the office, kitchen, cafeteria and
about twenty empty rooms. “No wonder there’s a request for
volunteers; there’s so much space. They could have a dozen courses
running at the same time,” said Mary.

“
And a
play being rehearsed in the hall as well.”

“
Yes,
that too. I wonder if I could act?” she asked.

“
If you
took up acting you’d be the one that would be away from home most
of the time,” said Ken.

The crowds
were thinning as they walked out of the Centre and a woman carrying
a clip board approached them.

“
I’m
told you men run the
Small End Wooden
Toys
company. I’m Tammy Vermoor. I’m covering this
event for
The Week’s News
. Do
you mind if I ask you some questions?”

“
No,
fire away,” said Ken.

“
I’m
going to get a drink before it’s all gone,” said Mary.”

Bob looked at
Ken. “How about you answering the questions because I’d like one
too.”

“
No
problem.”

Fifteen
minutes later Ronald and Sam started carrying the chairs back into
the Centre and several other men and boys joined them. Bob told
Mary that he had promised to help so Mary returned to Ken who was
just saying goodbye to the reporter. There were so many helpers
that Bob only had two loads to carry. Once all the chairs had been
moved he looked in all the classrooms for Ronald but couldn’t find
him. There were just a small group carrying the remains of the cake
and drink into the kitchen and three people folding the tables and
carrying them indoors as he left. It was not quite four o’clock,
the sky was darkening and it looked like it would rain. Bob went
home, sat in his arm chair and put his feet up. Time for a
rest.

When he awoke
at six thirty it was raining heavily. He washed, put on his
mackintosh and took his umbrella from the hall stand, hurrying
because he was late.

The Crown was
busy. Joe, Jane, Jack and Rose were sitting on stools at the bar.
They had reserved one for him and were about to let it go when he
entered.

“
Here
Bob,” shouted Joe. “What happened to you?”

“
I fell
asleep.”

“
All
that hard work putting the chairs away I suppose!”

“
I
didn’t do much of that. More likely tired because of the week’s
activities. I’m on my feet much more now. Has everybody
ordered?”

“
No we
were waiting for you.”

They chose
their food, Bob bought his bitter and the conversation returned to
discussing the ceremony.

“
I was
surprised that the MP’s speech was so short,” said Rose.

“
I told
him he had only one minute,” replied Jane.

“
I bet
he didn’t like that,” said Joe. “How did you get him to cut down
his speech?”

“
I said
if he went longer the band was to start playing the national
anthem. And it worked!”

“
Had
they been told to do that?”

“
Of
course not. But he’s not as bad as some people think. I voted for
him and I told him that when I asked him if he would open the
Centre. It probably made him more receptive to my request to keep
his talk short.”

“
It was
a well-organised event Jane,” said Rose.

“
It’s
not actually finished yet. There’s the dance tonight but it’s
mostly for young people. We’re not going, the music won’t be the
kind we like. We’ll have dances for older people soon.”

“
Oh, how
often?” asked Rose. “Jack and I liked to dance when we were younger
and we’d probably go.”

“
Once a
month. And it’s once a month for the young-people’s dance as well.
We might change the frequency later, once we know what people
want.”

Bob didn’t say
anything about the dances but didn’t like what he was hearing.
Adult dances would probably be all right and he might even go to
one of them to see what they were like. But dances for teenagers
were likely to be very noisy and the Centre was so close to his
house. Many of the kids would drink and that could make it worse
though there must be adult supervisors, maybe he was worrying
unnecessarily.

They enjoyed
their food but sitting on bar stools wasn’t the best place to eat
and shouting wasn’t pleasant so they left as soon as they’d eaten.
Shortly afterwards half the pub left as well, running up the hill
through the rain to go to the dance.

Car engines
woke Bob at eleven. People were shouting goodbyes, several were
laughing loudly and two were screaming insults at each other. The
noise didn’t last long probably due to the rain. ‘I’ll shut my
window next time there’s a dance,’ he told himself, before falling
back to sleep.

Chapter 32 The engagement party

It was still
raining when Bob awoke and the garden was too wet to think of
working there. He did the usual weekend dusting and cleaning,
thinking about how much his life had changed in the last half year.
Working every day, lots of money coming in—likely more in the
future—and a girlfriend in Portugal. There was much to think about
including how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He decided
to walk along the river after lunch and tell Betty about it.

The rain had
slackened to a heavy drizzle after Bob had eaten his lunch. His
mackintosh and umbrella kept most of it off as he walked slowly
along the path, thinking what Betty might have said. It wasn’t
Maria for which he sought guidance, it was about the factory; he
didn’t like the idea of working within a factory, even though he
was its principal owner. ‘And all the money coming in, Betty, what
do you think about that? Got any suggestions?’ It didn’t do any
good, no solutions arrived and he turned back and began home. Near
the end of the river path he saw Ronald Teller standing looking at
the bushes then up into the trees.

“
Hello.
Ron. What are you doing?”

“
Oh,
hello Bob. I’m looking for birds. I’m what some people call ‘a
twicher’. There’s a Common Yellowthroat here. I can hear it but
can’t see it. Can you hear it?”

“
I can
hear something but I don’t know what it is. A twichety twichety
kind of call. Is that it?”

“
Yes,
that’s it.”

“
Well I
can’t see any birds at all even though there must be one somewhere.
Do you look for birds along the path often? I’ve never seen you
here before.”

“
I don’t
usually come here but a friend told me a Yellowthroat’s been heard
here. It would add one to my year’s list if I found it.”

“
You
used to be a teacher didn’t you?”

“
Yes. I
taught biology and general science in the Big End high school. How
did you know that?”

“
You
taught my daughter, Regina, many years ago.”

“
Regina
Barns. I may have. I don’t remember her but I don’t remember many
of the children I taught.”

“
Well we
must have had a chat there for I thought I knew you when we met
yesterday.”

“
We
probably met during an interview. I’m retired now. My hobby is
birding. Does it interest you?”

“
I used
to carve birds but don’t have time to do that now. Making toys
takes all the time I have. When I carved I sometimes looked at
photographs of birds to find one to carve.”

“
Well if
you every want to try bird watching give me a call. I live the
other end of Small End, near to where Ken Smith lives and my
number’s in the book. Ah, there it is. Look. Can you see it? It’s
at two o’clock on the edge of the bush, the third bush down from
us. The bird’s got a yellow throat and a black band across its beak
with a white band above that. At least that’s what this one, a
male, has. Here, use my binoculars,” and he handed them to
Bob.

“
No I
can’t see it. Oh yes, I see it now. It’s pretty.”

“
Yes it
is.”

Bob gave the
binoculars back to Ron who looked at the bird until it flew away.
“Well, that’s enough for me today. I’m going home to a warm fire
and a rum and coke.”

They walked
together to the end of the path where they said goodbye. Ron
climbed into his car and Bob walked home thinking about birding. It
might be an interesting hobby if he ever had time for one. And he
slowly realised that that’s what he wanted most of all, not lots of
money but more time for himself. To be with Maria as well of
course. He didn’t want to be an owner of a toy-making factory, he
wanted the freedom to do what he wanted, any time he wanted, not
making toys all the time. He wanted to retire again.

As he opened
the front door he asked himself if it was talking to Betty that
helped him discover his real needs. No, it wasn’t Betty, it was
talking to Ron. He made me think about having a hobby. ‘But I
wouldn’t have seen him if I hadn’t gone for a walk to talk it over
with Betty. So I guess I can thank both of them.’

He wrote to
Maria that evening, telling her about the new employees, that Craig
and Lori had become engaged and that the BBC had filmed the shop.
He looked forward to her comments on the last part.

Craig was in
the milking parlour workshop with Luke, Ray, Diane and Alan when he
arrived on Monday morning. Craig was taking them along the line, as
Ken had done in the other shop, explaining how the engines and
carriages were made. Luke demonstrated each step as they moved from
one position to the next. Bob watched from the side for a while
then went into the office.

“
Hello
Bob,” said Lori. “Did you have a good weekend?”

“
Yes.
Except for the noisy group leaving the dance on Saturday night. How
about yours?”

“
Very
good. We rented an apartment and we’ll move in next Saturday. You
and Ken will have to come and see it.”

“
We
must. Let us know when you’re ready for visitors. Oh I have some
news for you but don’t tell anyone except Craig because Ken want’s
to announce it when we finish tonight; we’re having the engagement
party for you this Friday afternoon. It’ll be at Ken’s
place.”

“
Oh
that’s nice. Thank you.”

“
It’s
Mary who you should thank, she’s making all the
arrangements.”

“
I
will.”

“
Ken and
I have withdrawn £35,000 Lori. And I’m going to discharge my
mortgage. Isn’t that good?”

“
It
certainly is. You know, I think that July’s income will be as good
as June’s. I’m still getting lots of requests. I’ll make up the
delivery list later today. Do you want to be on the road this
week?”

“
No,
just make lists for Gerry and Bert.”

“
Okay.”

“
Can you
ask the phone company to switch our numbers on Friday? We’ll move
the office to the Centre next Monday. We’ll need another desk and a
chair and a couple of easy chairs for visitors and anything else
you think we should have. Could you order them and have them
delivered Friday too, if they can do that?”