Bob of Small End (28 page)

“
That’d
be expensive. We couldn’t afford it.”

“
Then
you’ll just have to pass the test Bob,” and he chuckled. “I’m sure
you will.”

“
Well
Peter says I will. Let’s hope he’s right.”

Returning to
the idea of getting help Ken said, “You know, once the jigs work
properly I think I will hire a helper, a boy, who’d work for
minimum wage. He could push wood through a jig easily and doesn’t
have to know much else.”

“
Joe
said it’d be cheaper to hire helpers on contract, when we wouldn’t
have to pay all kinds of extras, holidays, unemployment fees, and
so on.”

“
I
hadn’t thought about that. Is it legal?”

“
Don’t
know. I suppose so. We could ask Arthur.”

“
I’ll
have a word with him,” said Ken.”

“
Can we
afford to hire someone though?”

“
If it
helps us to make the toys quicker we could. As long as we can sell
them.”

“
You
know Ken, I’m a bit afraid of the speed we’re doing all this.
Things are happening so fast. I keep thinking something will go
wrong and we’ll lose our money.”

“
We
won’t lose more than we can afford to risk Bob. There’s always risk
in business ventures.”

“
Yes.
The most I can risk is what I have in my savings. I planned to keep
that for my grandchildren’s education.”

“
Don’t
worry about it Bob. We’ll be alright. Remember? That’s our motto.
Well, I’ve finished. You ready to move on?”

“
Yes,”
but Bob continued to worry and forgot to watch Ken’s driving. He
couldn’t help thinking they might be taking too much risk if they
moved into a bigger place and hired a helper. A new place would
need fixing up and just how much would that cost?

Bob told Ken
where to park in Twinner and they entered Leo’s shop. After Ken had
been introduced to Leo, Bob told him that they were going into
business together. Leo seemed very surprised. “I thought that you
were making toys mostly as a hobby Bob: to earn a little more
money.”

“
Well I
was but I took a holiday in Portugal in February and that made me
want to take more of them. That’s why I began selling toys in
Jenny’s shop and with you. Rose couldn’t sell enough for
me.”

“
I see.
Well I’m glad to have them. What have you got?”

“
There
are five of each in the bags.”

“
Thanks.
I’ll give you a receipt for them.”

Ken was glad
he had met Leo and said he looked like a competent person after
they had left. Bob thought Leo seemed a bit distant, especially
after he had told him that they were now forming a company. It
seemed to bother him in some way but he didn’t say anything to
Ken.

“
Let’s
have a beer Bob. There’s a pub I like near here. It overlooks the
sea and it’s a good way to end our Saturday’s work.”

After a pint
and some crisps they drove to the supermarket where Bob bought some
fish and a few TV dinners. Ken dropped Bob at his house, saying
“Don’t forget to ask them tonight about a bigger place. Any place,
even if we have to buy it.”

‘
Oh,
no,’ thought Bob, as he walked to his door. ‘We can’t spend money
buying buildings. Oh dear. What’s got into Ken.’

Joe was
waiting for him in the Crown that night and Bob told him about his
fears.

“
Don’t
worry about Ken, Bob. He’s an honest man. However he’s been used to
getting his own way. He did run a big operation and probably thinks
that
Small End Wooden Toys
could easily be made into a bigger company. I bet that’s what
he’s trying to do, enlarge it, just for the fun of doing
so.”

“
Ken
moves far too quickly for me. He suggests things, then almost
immediately wants to put them into effect. I like to think through
the idea first and move a bit more cautiously.”

“
Then
that should be your role; you should be a counterbalance to his
impulsive nature. You’ll be successful working that way, one
balancing the other.”

“
I hope
so.”

Jack and Rose
joined them and Joe told them about Bob’s fears.

“
I know
how you feel Bob” said Rose. “I feel somewhat that way every time
Jack says he’s found another cottage or house and has decided to
buy and renovate it. I’m afraid something will go wrong and that
we’ll lose money.”

“
We
ain’t so fer, right?”

“
No. But
it doesn’t stop me worrying the next time. Do you have one in mind
now?”

“
Nay,
but I’m lookin’.”

“
Do you
know of a building that Ken and I could rent Jack?” asked
Bob.

“
Wot
kind?”

“
A place
we could use to make the toys. Ken wants something two- or
three-times bigger than my workshop.”

“
Maybe a
farmer ‘as a barn ter rent.”

“
A
drafty one, full of cobwebs and hay, I suppose. I hope Ken doesn’t
want one of those. I wouldn’t want to be the one who cleans
it.”

“
Wait a
minute,” exclaimed Joe. “I might have just what you want. What
about my old milking parlour? Do you think that would be
suitable?”

“
Isn’t
it full of equipment?”

“
Yes it
is. It’s the hay-cutting machinery my father and I used when we
kept cattle. There are three horse-drawn mowers, two or three
rakes, a seeder, old ploughs and some harnesses in there. I’ll
never use that stuff again and I don’t suppose anyone else would.
Not many farmers use horse-drawn equipment these days.”

“
What
are you talking about Joe?” asked Jane as she sat down to join the
group.

“
Bob’s
looking for a place to make toys, something bigger than his
workshop. I thought about letting him have our old milking parlour.
I’d have to get rid of the equipment in there first.”

“
You
would? That’s great. I don’t see much good in keeping that old
stuff. But I thought you wanted to keep them because they belonged
to your father.”

“
Well,
that’s partly true. I also thought Howard might like to keep them
but he’ll never run the farm and won’t want the stuff. We might as
well get rid of it now or he’ll have to do it when we’re
dead.”

“
We’re
not going to be dead for a long time I hope Joe. I like the idea.
It’s a pity a good building like that is used just to store old
stuff. What do you think about using that place Bob?”

“
I don’t
know it, at least, I don’t know what it looks like inside. I can
see that it’s about the right size, that it’s well made and has a
good metal roof. Has it got electricity?”

“
Of
course. There’s a telephone in it too, although it’s just hooked to
our house phone. If you use the place you’ll have to get it
connected to an outside line.”

“
Well
I’m very interested Joe. Can I see it?”

“
Come
tomorrow morning. Bring Ken. We can have a coffee and decide if you
want it after you’ve seen the place.”

“
Thanks.
I’ll phone Ken right now and find out if he can come tomorrow.” He
got up and walked to the bar.

“
Len can
I use the phone? I want to call Ken Smith.”

“
Yes of
course.” He opened the bar hatch and Bob walked through to the
telephone which was fastened to the wall just around the corner. He
pulled out Ken’s card and dialled the number. Mary
answered.

“
Hello
Mary. It’s Bob Barns. How are you ?”

“
I’m
fine Bob. How’s the business going? Ken told me what you’ve been
doing today. Next thing you’ll do is buy a building, he
says.”

“
I hope
not Mary. I hope we can rent one. That’s what I want to talk to him
about now. Is he there?”

“
Yes.
Hang on, I’ll call him. Ken,” she shouted, “It’s Bob, on the
‘phone.”

“
Hello
Bob. Anything wrong?”

“
No, but
I might have found a place for us. It’s Joe’s milking parlour. He
suggests we look at it tomorrow morning. Can you do
that?”

“
Sure. I
know where it is. As far as I remember it’s about the right size.
Great. What time tomorrow?”

“
How
about ten o’clock?”

“
Right.
I’ll be there. Has it got electricity?”

“
Yes,
and a telephone, but that’ll have to be connected up.”

“
That’s
great news. I think that it might be just the right place. See you
tomorrow then.”

Bob told Joe
what they had arranged. Joe said ten o’clock would be perfect and
he’d tidy it a bit before they came.

“
Oh, is
the floor level Joe? You used to have a drainage ditch in the
middle didn’t you?”

“
We
filled that in when we decided to keep equipment there. Yes the
floor’s level and it’s all concrete.”

“
How do
you heat it in the winter?”

“
The
cows did that. I don’t know what you’ll do. That might be a
problem.”

“
One
we’ll solve if we decide to rent it I’m sure.”

“
I’m
goin’ t’order supper,” said Jack, as he got up. “I’ll get t’menu,”
and walked to the bar. He returned with Mildred.

“
We’ve
got roast turkey, pork pies and halibut,” she announced.

“
How is
the halibut cooked Mildred?” asked Bob.

“
It’s
baked in a cream sauce.”

“
Then
I’ll have that,” said Rose. “Me too,” said Jane and Bob.

“
You
make t’pies?” asked Jack.

“
Yes.”

“
I’ll
‘ave that,’ said Jack.

“
Me
too,” added Jim. “Where’s Nancy tonight?”

“
She’s
having a holiday. She’ll be back next Friday. It’s just Len and me
when she’s away,” and Mildred bustled off.

“
She’ll
be busy then,” Jane said. “It’s time she had a holiday
too.”

“
I’m
thinking of taking one this summer,” said Bob.

“
Going
back to Portugal?” asked Joe.

“
No.
I’ll probably take a bus tour: in England, most likely, but maybe
I’ll go to Scotland. Either would be interesting: a chance to try
different beers,” and he took a swill of his.

“
How’s
the Spring show?” Rose asked Jane.

“
We’re
having rehearsals twice a week now. Full-dress rehearsals start
next week. The show opens in just over two weeks.”

“
Do you
need an usher?” asked Bob.

“
I’ll
let you know next week Bob. I think we have enough ladies to do
that and to sell the snacks and food. Thanks for
asking.”

Then she told
them that the sewer lines would be positioned sometime during the
next two weeks for the new Community Centre and the concert floor
poured around the end of the month. “The place looks very different
now, doesn’t it Bob.”

“
Yes it
does. I’m glad my parents didn’t see the station demolished. It was
their whole life.”

“
You all
know that the new sub-division and industrial site will be started
this summer?” asked Jane, and everyone nodded their heads. “Well,
Small End will be more than six times bigger when all the houses
are occupied.”

“
Six
times! I don’t like that” said Joe.

“
Nor do
I” said Bob. “It’s big enough already.”

They stopped
talking as Mildred put their suppers on the table and began to eat.
Half way through they had another drink, resumed their discussions
and left for home as soon as their drinks were finished.

Bob thought
about Joe’s parlour as he walked up the road. He hoped it would be
suitable for he didn’t want Ken to rent a barn, or worse, build a
place.

Jack was
helping Joe push the machines together in the milking parlour to
make a pathway when Bob walked in on Sunday morning.

“
Hello
Joe. Hi Jack. You’ve got an awful lot of stuff in here.”

“
Yep,
it’s where everything was dumped. I can move it all out this
afternoon if you do decide to rent it. Ah, that’s Ken driving up
now, I think.”

It was. He
parked his car and stopped at the door before entering. “Hi
everyone. This place is big enough, it’s perfect, in fact. What do
you think Bob?”

“
Oh yes.
I think it’s fine. I’m very glad you like it, I thought you might
want something bigger.”

“
No this
is just right; it’s a good size and has electricity. It’s just what
we need.”

“
And
there’s a toilet outside, at the far end,” Joe said.

“
That
makes it better still,” exclaimed Ken. “All we need to do is clean
it up, put up a few walls and make a couple of benches.”

“
Arr,”
said Jack. “Rose hoped you’d ‘ire me t’help.”

“
We
might do that Jack.”

“
What
walls do you want Ken?” Bob asked.

“
We’ll
need a paint spray booth and that should be totally enclosed. We
need an office where we can keep the paperwork, desks and the
phone. They’d need walls. The office should be near the entrance
door and the paint booth should be at the other end of the shop.
What do you think Bob?”