have a party and invite everybody she knew. She could buy brand-new clothes instead of second-hand ones. She and her mother got their dresses from the DeLux Dress agency and they were good-quality, but they were still someone else’s hand-me-downs. She could take a trip to London and see some of the sights people talked about: Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace … or perhaps the Tower of London. Ruby enjoyed a delicious little shudder as she imagined herself walking around the same cold rooms where poor Anne Boleyn had waited for her execution on the orders of King Henry VIII. What she could do with five pounds!
As she put it back into the envelope, Jim’s voice came back to her mind: ‘ every one of us gets at least one chance in life to change direction …’ Was this her moment? Yes, she could do all the things she’d imagined, but they would be over in a trice. All she would have to show for it would be a lovely memory, or a pretty dress that would eventually wear out, or she would grow bored with it.Five pounds wouldn’t necessarily change her whole life, but it could be the start of something that might make a difference. ‘ Just be sure of what you want, and don’t let anything get in the way .’ That’s what Jim had advised, but right now she couldn’t make up her mind what she wanted. She carefully put the note back in the envelope, and put the envelope in her bag. Just then, the door burst open and Edith stood in front of her.
‘Oh, Ruby,’ she cried, looking her up and down, ‘I am so sorry.’ She put her arms around a startled Ruby and pulled her close. ‘I can’t believe this has happened. How awful for you. But you mustn’t worry too much. I’m sure you’ll get another job straight away.’ When she let go and stepped back, Ruby could see that Edith had tears in her eyes.
‘Hang on a minute,’ Ruby laughed. ‘I haven’t been sacked.’
‘You haven’t?’ said Edith. ‘But I thought the fact that you’ve got your coat on …’
‘I’ve been given the rest of the day off, for saving Dr Palmer.’
Edith stared at her for a second and then beamed. ‘You jammy dog!’ she said, giving Ruby a playful slap on her arm. ‘That’s two days running.’
Embarrassed, Ruby avoided her eye.
‘Oh, go on,’ said Edith. ‘Enjoy yourself. Next week it’ll be my turn to save some poor old boy and, when I do it, I won’t stop at a measly half a day off. I shall insist that he marry me and, when I’ve got all his money, I’ll divorce him and marry the handsome chauffeur.’
The two friends laughed and, arm-in-arm, Edith escorted Ruby to the door.
As she strolled towards the beach on her own, Ruby felt a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t told Edith everything. She sat on the stones. She loved this place, with its pretty pier jutting out to sea. It had been put up in Victorian times and visitors were charged tuppence to walk along the boards from the kiosk at the entrance. The fee allowed people to listen to the orchestra, which played between spring and autumn in the Southern Pavilion. The other pavilion, on the shore side of the pier, had variety shows. There was also a souvenir shop next door. Ruby loved it all. She loved the Dome cinema opposite, the Punch-and-Judy on the beach and the deckchairs you could hire. She loved to see the tourists strolling along the promenade and to hear the cry of the gulls.
The Lyons ice-cream boy went by calling, ‘Stop me and buy one …’ and she smiled to herself. The ice creams were loaded into a big box on the front of his tricycle, and the slogan on his crossbar also said: Stop me and buy one . The sun was still warm and bathers splashed in the sea. The tide was coming in now, and she knew that on the beach at East Worthing her father would be preparing the boat ready for fishing. She sighed and wondered what he would say when she told him she’d been given five pounds. For a moment or two she fantasized that he would smile and tell her
As she put it back into the envelope, Jim’s voice came back to her mind: ‘ every one of us gets at least one chance in life to change direction …’ Was this her moment? Yes, she could do all the things she’d imagined, but they would be over in a trice. All she would have to show for it would be a lovely memory, or a pretty dress that would eventually wear out, or she would grow bored with it.Five pounds wouldn’t necessarily change her whole life, but it could be the start of something that might make a difference. ‘ Just be sure of what you want, and don’t let anything get in the way .’ That’s what Jim had advised, but right now she couldn’t make up her mind what she wanted. She carefully put the note back in the envelope, and put the envelope in her bag. Just then, the door burst open and Edith stood in front of her.
‘Oh, Ruby,’ she cried, looking her up and down, ‘I am so sorry.’ She put her arms around a startled Ruby and pulled her close. ‘I can’t believe this has happened. How awful for you. But you mustn’t worry too much. I’m sure you’ll get another job straight away.’ When she let go and stepped back, Ruby could see that Edith had tears in her eyes.
‘Hang on a minute,’ Ruby laughed. ‘I haven’t been sacked.’
‘You haven’t?’ said Edith. ‘But I thought the fact that you’ve got your coat on …’
‘I’ve been given the rest of the day off, for saving Dr Palmer.’
Edith stared at her for a second and then beamed. ‘You jammy dog!’ she said, giving Ruby a playful slap on her arm. ‘That’s two days running.’
Embarrassed, Ruby avoided her eye.
‘Oh, go on,’ said Edith. ‘Enjoy yourself. Next week it’ll be my turn to save some poor old boy and, when I do it, I won’t stop at a measly half a day off. I shall insist that he marry me and, when I’ve got all his money, I’ll divorce him and marry the handsome chauffeur.’
The two friends laughed and, arm-in-arm, Edith escorted Ruby to the door.
As she strolled towards the beach on her own, Ruby felt a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t told Edith everything. She sat on the stones. She loved this place, with its pretty pier jutting out to sea. It had been put up in Victorian times and visitors were charged tuppence to walk along the boards from the kiosk at the entrance. The fee allowed people to listen to the orchestra, which played between spring and autumn in the Southern Pavilion. The other pavilion, on the shore side of the pier, had variety shows. There was also a souvenir shop next door. Ruby loved it all. She loved the Dome cinema opposite, the Punch-and-Judy on the beach and the deckchairs you could hire. She loved to see the tourists strolling along the promenade and to hear the cry of the gulls.
The Lyons ice-cream boy went by calling, ‘Stop me and buy one …’ and she smiled to herself. The ice creams were loaded into a big box on the front of his tricycle, and the slogan on his crossbar also said: Stop me and buy one . The sun was still warm and bathers splashed in the sea. The tide was coming in now, and she knew that on the beach at East Worthing her father would be preparing the boat ready for fishing. She sighed and wondered what he would say when she told him she’d been given five pounds. For a moment or two she fantasized that he would smile and tell her
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