Read Online Tea & Antipathy by Anita Miller - Free Book Online Page B

spent trying to find something for Bruce and Eric to do, I decided to phone the American Embassy. Everybody who spoke to me there sounded English.
    â€œI have these three children,” I said, when I was connected with the apparently appropriate voice. “Three, but only the two younger ones present a problem. I have to find something for them to do. Can you suggest something for them to do during the day? Anything.”
    â€œWell, I can’t really,” the voice said, through its nose.
    â€œYou mean there isn’t anything?”
    â€œWell, there used to be a teenage club at the American Air Force base in West Ruyslip, but it’s been discontinued.”
    â€œOh, well, the teenager is relatively easy…”
    â€œYou might call the American Air Force base, but I’m afraid they discontinued the club. Still, you might try.”
    â€œI’ll try anything,” I said.
    A male voice, vaguely Midwestern, answered at the Air Force base. I fought back an impulse to sob. He connected me with a recreation center, where a very Texan lady responded.
    â€œ … and I have these three children,” I said, “but only two of them present a problem. And the woman at the Embassy said you had a teenage program, but you discontinued it, and she said you didn’t have anything else.”
    â€œThat’s not true,” the Texas voice said.
    â€œThe woman at the Embassy,” I said.
    â€œShe didn’t tell you the truth,” the voice said bitterly. “We have a teenage club and we have a pre-teen day camp.”
    â€œYou have a pre-teen day camp?”
    â€œYes, we do. We have a pre-teen day camp and it’s open to civilians and all you have to do is get them here at nine o’clock. It runs from nine to four, every other week all summer.”
    â€œDo you have a bus service?”
    â€œNo, you have to get them here. I don’t know exactly how you’d manage all the way from Knightsbridge.”
    â€œI’ll manage,” I said fervently. “I’ll get them there.”
    I called Jordan at the office. “How are things going?” I asked.
    â€œUh,” he said.
    â€œWell, anyway, the American Air Force has a day camp at West Ruyslip from nine to four every other week. All I have to do is get them there.”
    â€œGreat,” Jordan said. “Wonderful.”
    â€œHow do I get them there?”
    â€œCall the minicab people. They’ll drive them out there every day.”
    â€œWon’t that be expensive?”
    â€œNo, it won’t. Do you mind if I call you back later? Bill went to the bank to get the payroll money and they’re holding him there because there isn’t any payroll money.”
    â€œDo you mean they’re holding him prisoner?”
    â€œNo,” he said irritably, “of course they’re not holding him prisoner. They’re just holding him. Can I call you back?”
    I should mention that at that time it was customary for English companies to pay their employees in cash. Every week Bill went to the bank, cashed a check for the full amount of thepayroll and then got five- and one-pound notes, ten shilling notes, plus a certain number of half crowns, two shilling pieces, shillings, threepenny bits and pence. The resulting heavy brown paper package was brought back to the office; the contents were spread out on Bill’s desk and counted into little pay packets for each of the thirty employees. The whole process took more or less half a day. Jordan had asked the staff if they would take checks instead of cash, but they wouldn’t consider that.
    I phoned the minicab people; the man said going back and forth to West Ruyslip by cab would be too expensive. But, heartened by the knowledge that help existed, I decided to take another stab at finding a laundry. After their phone service had been restored, I had called the Sunlight Laundry every few days, and each time someone at