The Shift of Numbers (20 page)

“It’s not your money anymore,
” Sunny replied a bit to
o
smugly.

“It bloody well is,”
Ben
s
houted back.

“T
hat’s not what you agreed to,” s
aid Deborah
,
coolly.

“I’m not here to fund a jolly boys
’ knees-
up when there’s work to be done.”

“We just need t
o agree on some ground rules,” said Jacob,
slyly becoming the voice of reason in a situation he helped create. “Why don’t we just nominate
someone to hand out the money, s
omeone who can decide if
it’s going to be used sensibly?
”

“Sensibly? You mean someone who will stop it being spent o
n things you don’t approve of more like,
” Sunny said
,
sarcastically.

“Not
at all,” Jacob added reasonably.
“Just so we avoid situations like this. I appreciate that some of us need to go out occasionally.”

There was a murmur of approval from about half the group. Sunny shook his head.

“W
ho do you think should do it?” s
omeone at the back asked.

“Deborah.” s
omeone
else
shouted.

“No
.
I’m to
o
busy with the restaurant and Poppy.”

“How about Ben?” a
sked Jacob.

“No way,” s
aid Sunny
,
with venom.

“Put it to the vote,” r
eplied Jacob.

“Fine.”

A rumble of
approval went around the group.

It took about 15 minut
es for the necessary organising, with
Jill handing out small pieces of paper and pens then collecting them all back in a
nd
counting the results. While this was taking place
,
people began milling around and talking amongst themselves. When they sat back down, in different seats, the divide was clear to see. Jill took the podium again.

“I have a result. It was very close with just 1 vote difference but Ben has not been nominated to look after the money.”

“Woo hoo
,
” Sunny exclaimed
,
happily.

“I think
we should adjourn this meeting,” s
aid Jill over the growing noise.

“I don’t think so,” shouted Ben
.
“I don’t see the point in any of this anymore. I’m not going to stay here and be treated like this.” Many of the crowd to the right of him were nodding in agreement
,
with some getting to the
ir feet and jeering at those
seated opposite
.

“It
’
s not like we
’
re getting anything o
ut of it,” s
omeone shouted.

Gordon watched
for a few minutes before walking
out from behind his camera and making his way up to the rusty stat
ue. The 2 mobs failed to notice
him
. “What’s the point?” h
e shouted over them. “What’s the point? You want a prize?” The word ‘prize’ had the desired
effect and they quietened down. “I’ll tell you what then:
if
,
after the 6 months
,
the majority of you feel that your life would be better living
here rather than back at home,
as a community
y
ou c
an have the deeds to this place
. I’ll sign this place over to you. How’s that?”

A ripple of stunned silence reverberated around the once unruly horde.

“How wou
ld that work?” Ben finally responded,
sceptically.

“There are 31 of you, including the children. Let’s say… if 20 or more of you want to continue living here after the 6 months
,
then I will sign over this place to you. As a community though, so
,
if you want to sell it, you would have to get everyone living here to agree to it.”

An excited chatter erupted from the group along with s
everal ‘Oh my gods’
from the direction of Isabella.

“I would imagine that
,
after all the work we
’
re going to do to this place
,
it
’
s probably going to be worth somewhere in the region of 2 million. How’s that for a prize?” And with that
,
he walked off in the direction of the beach.

*

Gordon had made his way past the fields and was heading down the thin winding path towards the gentle crashing of waves in the distance. By the time he could feel soft sand underfoot
,
the big red sun had dipped into the ocean,
beginning to extinguish itself and
bathing him in soft warm light. As he let it wash over him
,
he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and smiled as a familiar face greeted him.

“All right
,
lad?” He offered a hand.
“Hello
,
Bill.”

“
You seen
the news?”

“Yes. H
ow did you find me?”

“Your mum told me. S
he’s worried.
Ain
’t
heard from you for a while. Y
ou should phone her. Told me all about you working on a television show. Didn’t know where else to go…”
Bill pronounced television, tele-vis-ee-on, like it was a new invention. Gordon roughly put his arm around Bill and began walking up the path.

“I think we need a drink.”

*

DAY 11

Sunny – 12:32

I am amazed at last night’s meeting. I really thought we were all going to go our separate ways. I can’t believe we could actually win this place. It’s fantastic. I’m really going to start pulling my weight around here. I should make it up with Ben and the workers really. Have to speak to Izzie and Sophia. I’m sure we can mend some bridges.

Deborah and Howard – 16:12

The atmosphere around here has certainly picked up.

Yes, dear. It sure has.

I wonder if this was the plan all along.

It could have been.

Would you go and get Poppy, Howard?

Yes, dearest.

I can’t believe Howard didn’t say anything at the meeting yesterday. He left it all up to me as usual… I’m sorry. I’m not normally like this but I’ve got nowhere to vent my feelings and I’m so angry. He’s just the same in the restaurant. If I
wasn’t
there I’d hate to think what would happen … or what wouldn’t happen. Oh dear.

Jacob – 16:46

Glad we
’
re not going home but we still hav
e some problems to work through.
Not sure about this new person.

Bill – 16:54

Don’t k
now why the lad made me come in ’
ere. If you’re watching
,
my beautiful, dearest wife
,
I know I’ve made some mistakes but…
Well
,
you know. Erm… I best go.

Poppy and Tom – 17:30

I like the farmer. H
e’s funny. Oh
,
and he has big red cheeks.

And a beard
.

And a hat
,
Poppy
.

He likes carrots, but no other fruits
.

Oranges
,
maybe
.

Let’s find him an orange
.

Ben – 19:12

I’m defini
tely
staying put now. T
his place is worth a small fortune! Might talk to Gor
don about Bill staying though. N
ot sure we need another non-worker around h
ere. Got to think of the budget.
It’s only fair
,
after all.

Gordon – 23:19

Can’t believe how nic
e most people are being to me. S
uppose when there’s money on the table it changes things.
’Sn
ot really how I wanted things to turn out but what can you do? Sunny wants Isabella,
me and Sophia to make more of an effort with the workers
,
as he sarcastically calls them
. Deborah came to me in a bit of a state asking if I could delete 1 of her diary entries and I told her I would. The most ridiculous request to date was from Ben and Jacob. They came to the production hut earlier and asked me in their patronising way if Bill should be allowed to join the show at this late date. They kept going on about budgets and not being able to afford another non-worker. I almost punched Ben. I tried to sound professional when I politely denied their request but I’m sure Jacob could tell I was drunk. Bill and me got through quite a lot of Sunny’s homebrew.

*

DAY 17

Ben – 06:15

I’m up and about and again on my own, watching the sunrise. I know it’s a Sunday but come on!

Jacob – 14:27

I’ve been over the rules that Gordon laid out for us and I’ve come up with a plan. It states, and I quote
,
that ‘
all other rules will be decided upon by majority vote’. So with a majority vote I can add another rule that allows for people to be voted out of the community. So
,
if I can get 20 people behind me
,
we can kick out all the others and sell the place the moment 6 months have gone by. Obviously
,
it will have to be the non-workers who go first. I think I’m about ready to recruit Ben into my idea. Only 18 to go! 

Isabella – 16:18

Oh my god! I’m so bored.
Sunny’s pretending to be nice to everyone and it’s getting on my nerves. He even hung Jacob
’s clothes out. H
e’ll be ironing next! Bring back the real Sunny.

Ben and Jacob – 19:09

I’ve been having a good old chinwag with my old friend here and he’s come up with a marvellous plan.

It’s only a plan at this stage.

But it’s bound to work. What’s 2 million divided by 20? I do believe it’s a cool 100
grand each. N
ot bad for 6 months work, eh?

We have to be clever about this
,
though.

It’ll be easy.
I’m sure of it. I can think of at least 12 people who will be into it.

We still need to be sensible.

Of course, of course, but what about all the renovation work?
If we kick out most of the non-workers, this place won’t be worth 2
mill
?

Don’t you think I’ve thought of that already?

So?

We time it just right. W
e gather all our troops and when the time is right, after the renovations are complete, we strike. Kicking them out.

That’s genius my friend, genius!

I thought you would like the military analogy.

It’ll be just like the great purges all over again! We’ll show them work-shy bastards a thing or 2.

Gar
e
th – 20:54

Bill’s right at home
in the fields.
M
y type of g
ent.
We’ll get on great. S
tarted seeding the carrots this morning but he won’t use any
type of unnatural fertilizer. S
ays he’ll plant nothing but organic these days. Don’t say I agree but got to respect the man.

*

DAY 21

Jacob – 10:31

Ben and me have been busy little bees. We now have several people who can see the merit to our plan. Very exciting. Like being a secret agent. If I went over to the non-workers side and told them of Ben’s plans, I could play at being a double agent for a bit. I wouldn’t do that, of course. Can’t really trust the non-workers. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to recruit most of the half-workers but at least they place some value on earning money and I might be able to convince them to go back to working full-time.