spectacular on a regular basis and she wouldn’t be able to put up with the mess. Maybe she should get a job as a cleaner instead, she mused. Kelly knew she was good at that.
But the course offering secretarial and general office skills was the one that caught her eye. It promised that she would be able to type properly at a fair amount of words per minute, lay out and present documents in a businesslike manner and enhance her chances of getting an office job. Kelly was sold, and her head suddenly filled itself with all kinds of possibilities.
The course was on a Wednesday afternoon through to nine pm. Now that the flat was decorated, Kelly would enquire into a few shifts at Miles’ Factory. As long as her mum was still keen to look after Emily, Kelly could fit in four nights a week. While she brought a small amount of money in, it would give her the time she needed to gain some experience. Then, when Emily was at school for most of the day, she’d be able to work in an office with other people, be part of a crowd. Maybe, eventually, she could work as a personal assistant for some bigwig and get paid lots of money. By the time she got to the registration room, Kelly was practically hyperventilating.
Full of renewed vigour, her steps home became lighter. Luckily, the gang of youths had moved on from the health centre to bother someone else. She even stopped off to push Emily on the deserted swings.
‘Do you know what, Em? Your mum’s going to college to learn how to be an office worker. I’m going to earn lots of pennies to buy nice things.’
‘And books,’ yelled Emily. ‘I’d like my own pink teddy bear books.’
Kelly smiled. ‘Yeah, and books.’
She pushed her daughter up towards the sky again and again, watching Emily stretching her little legs out to make herself go higher. She looked as free as Kelly felt. From that moment, she resolved that the sky would be her limit, too. So what if Scott wouldn’t approve of either of the things she was about to do? It was her life and she wasn’t going to let him live it for her. As well, she vowed to show the likes of all the Leahs and Sadies just what she was capable of.
CHAPTER TEN
Josie pulled the top off her pen with her teeth and wrote the date clearly at the top of her notepad. She was parked a few houses away from Mr Neblin’s house, her first call of the day. She needed to see if he had moved the pile of rubbish in his back garden that was in danger of reaching the kitchen windowsill. Bonfire night had gone months before and his excuses for not burning it or getting rid of it were wearing thin.
As she drew level with number 78 Hector Walk, Josie let out a huge sigh in frustration. Even from the pavement, she could see that it was no better than the last time she’d visited. She unlooped the string from the post which was holding the gate in place and walked carefully down the mud-covered pathway. Well, it wasn’t a path as such, just an unofficial rut that Mr Neblin had made with the wheels of his car. No matter how many times she told him not to park his car on the garden area, he still left it rotting there.
Josie examined the wreck more closely. The tax disc was two months out of date. She doubted it was insured either, yet only yesterday she had seen him hurtling along Davy Road in it. She reckoned it was time to have a word with Andy. If she couldn’t make him shift it, the law could impound it.
When she got closer to the mound of rubbish, Josie noticed the other items added to it since her last visit: a smashed up wardrobe, a small television and more than a dozen rubbish bags.
Josie hammered hard on the back door.
‘FUCK OFF!’
Unperturbed, she banged on the door, harder this time. Moments later, it was yanked open and a small man with a prominent belly stood scowling on the doorstep.
‘Yes, it’s that time again, Mr Neblin,’ Josie said bluntly. ‘I told you to shift that pile of rubbish by the time I called a week
But the course offering secretarial and general office skills was the one that caught her eye. It promised that she would be able to type properly at a fair amount of words per minute, lay out and present documents in a businesslike manner and enhance her chances of getting an office job. Kelly was sold, and her head suddenly filled itself with all kinds of possibilities.
The course was on a Wednesday afternoon through to nine pm. Now that the flat was decorated, Kelly would enquire into a few shifts at Miles’ Factory. As long as her mum was still keen to look after Emily, Kelly could fit in four nights a week. While she brought a small amount of money in, it would give her the time she needed to gain some experience. Then, when Emily was at school for most of the day, she’d be able to work in an office with other people, be part of a crowd. Maybe, eventually, she could work as a personal assistant for some bigwig and get paid lots of money. By the time she got to the registration room, Kelly was practically hyperventilating.
Full of renewed vigour, her steps home became lighter. Luckily, the gang of youths had moved on from the health centre to bother someone else. She even stopped off to push Emily on the deserted swings.
‘Do you know what, Em? Your mum’s going to college to learn how to be an office worker. I’m going to earn lots of pennies to buy nice things.’
‘And books,’ yelled Emily. ‘I’d like my own pink teddy bear books.’
Kelly smiled. ‘Yeah, and books.’
She pushed her daughter up towards the sky again and again, watching Emily stretching her little legs out to make herself go higher. She looked as free as Kelly felt. From that moment, she resolved that the sky would be her limit, too. So what if Scott wouldn’t approve of either of the things she was about to do? It was her life and she wasn’t going to let him live it for her. As well, she vowed to show the likes of all the Leahs and Sadies just what she was capable of.
CHAPTER TEN
Josie pulled the top off her pen with her teeth and wrote the date clearly at the top of her notepad. She was parked a few houses away from Mr Neblin’s house, her first call of the day. She needed to see if he had moved the pile of rubbish in his back garden that was in danger of reaching the kitchen windowsill. Bonfire night had gone months before and his excuses for not burning it or getting rid of it were wearing thin.
As she drew level with number 78 Hector Walk, Josie let out a huge sigh in frustration. Even from the pavement, she could see that it was no better than the last time she’d visited. She unlooped the string from the post which was holding the gate in place and walked carefully down the mud-covered pathway. Well, it wasn’t a path as such, just an unofficial rut that Mr Neblin had made with the wheels of his car. No matter how many times she told him not to park his car on the garden area, he still left it rotting there.
Josie examined the wreck more closely. The tax disc was two months out of date. She doubted it was insured either, yet only yesterday she had seen him hurtling along Davy Road in it. She reckoned it was time to have a word with Andy. If she couldn’t make him shift it, the law could impound it.
When she got closer to the mound of rubbish, Josie noticed the other items added to it since her last visit: a smashed up wardrobe, a small television and more than a dozen rubbish bags.
Josie hammered hard on the back door.
‘FUCK OFF!’
Unperturbed, she banged on the door, harder this time. Moments later, it was yanked open and a small man with a prominent belly stood scowling on the doorstep.
‘Yes, it’s that time again, Mr Neblin,’ Josie said bluntly. ‘I told you to shift that pile of rubbish by the time I called a week
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