Bob of Small End (34 page)

The second
letter was from his aunt, Aunt Sally. Now that was strange. It
wasn’t his birthday and he wondered why she would be writing to
him. Normally they only exchanged Christmas cards. When his mother
was alive they’d visit her every two or three years. She was also
Bob’s Godmother and she always hugged and kissed him a lot when he
came. Her husband put up a swing and a slide in the back garden and
they went on long walks together, looking for blackberries,
watching the birds or picking flowers.

She wrote to
tell him that she was tidying her estate and had some things his
grandmother gave her and she though he might like them—a mantel
clock and three paintings. Did he want to visit and collect
them?

‘
Of
course I do. I haven’t seen her for five or six years. I’ll drive
up in the van. It’ll be a nice adventure; no more tiring train and
bus ride. I’d better go on a weekend. No, that’s not the best time;
too much traffic then. I’d have to go during the week. I’ll talk to
Ken about it then write to her.’

There was a
knock on the kitchen door and it opened. “Hello Bob. Another nice
day! Are you in the lounge?”

“
Yes I
am. Come and sit down Ken, I’ve something to discuss. Want a cup of
tea?”

“
No
thanks, just had some.” He sat down. “What’s up?”

“
Holidays. I’ve just had two letters. The first one, from
Maria, says she’s guiding two Lake-District tours this summer. I
want to go on the one she’s running in August because it’s for an
English-speaking group. When did you say you were taking your
holiday?”

“
In
September. The cruise is from September 3rd to September 12th. We
leave from and return to Rome, so we’ll arrive a couple of days
earlier. I’m thinking of taking two weeks off. Pass me the
calendar. Yes. We will fly over on Sunday, August 31st, so I’ll be
away from then until Monday, September 16th.”

“
In that
case I’d be back before you leave and we won’t miss any calls for
more toys. I’ll write to Maria and tell her I’ll join the August
one. The other letter was from my Aunt Sally. She lives near
Boston. She’s got some things my grandmother gave her that she
wants to give to me: a clock and some paintings. I’d like to drive
up and collect them but I don’t want to drive on a weekend when the
roads are clogged with traffic. So I want to take, say, three days
during the week. When do you think would be best? I’d like to go
soon but I don’t want to go when you might also be
away.”

“
Well I
won’t be taking any extra holidays for a long time. I want to
organise the new shop, find and train a helper and make several
hundred sets to build a stock. Then I’ll think about taking a few
days off.”

“
I’ll
help you in the shop until I visit her. I was going to Southampton
and Bournemouth to visit shops but it’ll be better to go after the
conference.”

“
Why
don’t you go and see your aunt before the conference, I’m sure
you’ll be busy afterwards.”

“
Yes,
that’s probably true. All right. Then I’ll go next Wednesday and
come back on Friday. That’ll give me time to prepare for the
conference. Can you manage the move from here to the new shop
without me?”

“
With
luck we’ll be moved by Wednesday. I’ll see what Jack says about
that.”

“
Then
I’ll write to my aunt and tell her when to expect me. I’ll do that
now and post it this morning. She’ll probably get the letter on
Monday.”

“
Okay.
I’ll start another fifty farms. You can collect the villages any
time you want. They’re on the shelves.”

Bob was just
about to write to his aunt when there was a knock on the front
door. He opened it and a man wearing a hard hat said, “Hello. Is
that your van in the parking lot?”

“
Yes.”

“
Well
can you move it please. We will be digging around there. It’s where
the station’s sewer pipe runs. If you move it to the other side of
the lot or lower down the road it’ll be okay.”

“
I’ll do
it now,” Bob said. He drove the van just past his garden and parked
it on the road.

“
It’ll
be all right there,” the man called.

Bob locked it,
returned to his kitchen, pulled out his shopping list and added
‘order gravel or stone for driveway.’ Then he wrote to aunt Sally
telling her when he planned to visit. He walked to the post office
and mailed it.

Ken was in the
middle of shaping the wood for the barns when he went in to collect
some village sets.

“
I’m
going to make the coffee before I start Ken. I’ll take it to the
garden. Join me when you are ready.”

“
Won’t
be long.”

After their
break Ken returned to making farm sets and Bob sat in the kitchen
giving the village sets their second coat of paint. About twelve
thirty, as Bob was shading the hedges, Ken walked in saying he was
ready for lunch and watched Bob for a while. Then he said, “I think
the third coat of paint on the hedges, houses or trains could be
done with rubber stamps. It’d be easy to do the shading on the
hedges but the window and door outlines could also be done, I
think. It would make that job quicker.”

“
Ah but
the lines can’t smear and they’d have to be in exactly the right
place.”

“
I think
that we can manage that. I’ve some soft rubber and I’ll make one
for the hedges when I have time. Not this weekend because I’ll be
making the table for the conference. That’s all I can do for us
because Mary wants some help and we’re also visiting
friends.”

Ken carried
the tray with tea things and his lunch bag to the garden while Bob
fetched the lawn chairs. They discussed the move to the new shop
over lunch. They’d use Bob’s tools and equipment to begin with but
buy new ones when they knew exactly what was needed. Keen to know
when the move might occur they decided to walk down to the shop and
see what Jack and John were doing.

Jack’s van was
parked next to the side door. He and John were screwing gyprock to
the ceiling of the paint shop when they walked in. The ceiling of
the main floor was covered, only the ceiling of the sanding booth
remained to be done. But none of the walls had been covered
yet.

“
This is
great Jack” said Ken. “I’d offer to help but it looks as if I’d be
in the way. You two can manage those sheets much better than I
could. I know they’re very heavy.”

“
We’re
used t’it. We’ll start t’walls arter this.”

“
Can you
work on the weekend Jack?”

“
Aye. ‘O
aba’t you John?”

“
I could
work in the mornings,” he replied.

“
Okay.
We’ll finish gypin’ t’walls Saturday and do t’joints Sunday. Monday
we’ll give ‘em a second coat.”

“
When
can you paint them Jack?”

“
Tuesday. Tuesday mornin’, I guess.”

“
And the
second coat of paint?”

“
Wednesday, s’long nowt goes wrong.”

“
So we
can begin working in here on Thursday. That means you won’t be here
Bob. Err, have you written to your aunt?”

“
Yes I
have. And posted it.”

“
Oh
okay, it’ll be all right. I’ll make the benches and move the jigs
on Thursday. Yes, we’ll be alright. Well thanks Jack. And John.
You’ve done a great job. I’ll pop in on Saturday and see how things
are going. How about you Bob? It looks great, doesn’t
it?”

“
Yes it
does. Thanks Jack, John.”

“
I
wonder what Joe and Jane think about the place now,” said Bob, as
they left the parlour. “I’ll have to ask them.”

Five minutes
later they were back at Bob’s place. Ken returned to the shop and
Bob continued the painting. He was finished by three and put the
kettle on for tea before visiting Ken. Ken had finished the long
blocks for the hedges, barns and houses. “I’ll shape the pigpens
and the pen sides after tea. Then I’ll cut the blocks.

“
You’re
very quick Ken. Are you sure you need a helper?”

“
Oh yes.
This isn’t quick enough for me!”

“
Well
I’m finished painting so I’ll do some sanding.”

They continued
working until seven when everything except the painting and gluing
was done. “I’ll do the first coat on Monday,” said Ken, “and leave
the rest to you. Then I’ll start another fifty trains. Now I’m
going home for a scotch and supper.”

“
I might
go to the Crown for mine.”

But ten
minutes later he decided he was too tired to do that and put a
curry in the oven to warm and opened a bottle of beer. ‘You know,’
he told himself, ‘I think it’s time I bought a microwave.’

That evening
he simply watched television. Working such long hours was a bit too
much for him. He’d be glad when the work was done in the new shop.
Ken could work all day and all night then and he wouldn’t feel so
pressured to help.

He didn’t have
the energy to write to Maria that night and decided to do that
Sunday. He knew that after a couple of drinks tomorrow night he
wouldn’t feel like writing then. It wouldn’t make any difference
when he wrote it if he posted it on Monday. Friday nights he’d try
to make a rest-night.

Over breakfast
the next morning Bob organised and rewrote his shopping list so he
wouldn’t have to drive backwards and forwards across the town. His
plants and seeds were the last stop, for the nursery was on the way
back to Small End. He put five of each toy in a bag in case Jenny
wanted some. He’d try to work in fives or tens from now on, it made
the paperwork slightly easier. He locked the house and carried the
bag to the car.

Part of the
road had been excavated at the corner of the station’s parking lot.
He walked to the barrier that surrounded it and looked into the
hole. At the bottom was the pipe that took the waste from the
station’s toilet and from his house. ‘I hope they won’t have to dig
all the way down to the crossroads,’ he mused. ‘If they do I’ll
have to park the van in Joe’s yard. I’ll ask them to deliver the
stone first thing Monday morning and make them drop it in the right
place. So that means I’ll have to remove some hedge today or
tomorrow. So much for a restful weekend!’

He was in Big
End before nine. There were several parking spots near Jenny’s
shop. He left the bag in the van and walked to the shop.

“
Hello
Jenny, Hi Susan. Enjoying our nice weather?”

“
I am,”
said Susan. “It means I can ride my bike to work most days without
worrying about getting wet.”

“
And I
can weed and plant in the garden tomorrow,” added Jenny.

“
That’s
what I’ve got to do soon,” said Bob. “Jenny I have some news for
you. Can we go to your office?”

“
Sure.”
They walked in and sat down.

“
Jenny
I’ve talked to Leo,” started Bob, and he told her what Leo had said
and what they had decided. “So we want to give you a forty percent
commission. We’ll give that to everyone from now on.”

“
Thanks
Bob. That’s very nice. I’m glad Leo discussed it with you. You
shouldn’t have any trouble finding enough retailers to sell for you
if you give them that.”

“
And
another thing. Rose told me about the
Gift
and Toy
conference. Are you going to it?”

“
Not
this year Bob. We’re getting busy and there’s only Susan to look
after the shop if I go. Why do you ask?”

“
Well,
I’ll have a booth there and Rose suggested I ask you and Leo to
write a note about our toys. She and Leo have written one
already.”

“
I’ll
write one too. Just a minute.” Like Leo she wrote on one of her
letter headed pages then gave it to Bob who quickly read
it.

“
That’s
very nice Jenny. Thanks. I’ve got something to show you, come with
me,” and Bob led her outside and pointed to the van. “We’ve rented
that. So I can bring toys to you any time now. Do you want any at
the moment?”

“
Let me
check with Susan,”

She walked
back and asked Susan if they needed any.

“
It’s
probably a good idea to have a few more.”

“
Well
I’ve got five of each in the van.”

“
Okay,
bring them in and I’ll give you a receipt.”

He drove to
the paint shop next.

“
Yes,”
the assistant said. “We do sell thinner acrylic paint, but you can
make your own if you want. Just add water. However it loses it’s
covering ability if you make your own. You get more body if you buy
the thinner paint from the suppliers. What do you want to
do?”

“
I’ll
try both ways. Can I have six of the thinner ones.”

That done Bob
crossed ‘acrylics’ from his shopping list and drove to the lumber
yard.

“
Hello
Bob. Want some more wood?”

“
Hello
Leon. Yes and a few other things. Here’s my list,” and he passed it
over.

“
No
problem about the wood for your toys. We keep it in stock and I’ll
have it delivered next Thursday to your new address. You must be
near Joe Smith’s farm.

“
Yes.
It’s in his yard. We are using his old milking parlour. My shop
isn’t big enough these days.”