Westpoint Tales - Jon & Bobby's Tale, 4

In a few minutes, Jon came back down again. Sherry and Jacquie had gone back into their rooms and the lobby was deserted. He went out the front door and walked up the street, proudly fingering the keys in his pocket. He had a home, now all he needed was a job so that he could keep it.

The town clock struck 4pm as he went into the small Supermarket on the corner. But was that the right time? (“Silly old thing’s often wrong.”) When he came out again, at 5pm, he was carrying a bag of uniform clothing. He had several cold salads and some fruit in a second bag, and he had a job.

He hadn’t needed to use his new landlady’s name with her cousin. He’d got the job, (well, a 3 week trial), by using his 3 best weapons – his quiet, old-fashioned charm, his huge enthusiasm for life and his devastating smile.

Jon had found over the last year that he could charm almost anybody, for a while anyway, if he wanted to, but he didn’t usually bother. He was happy to be a loner.

He went back to his room in the Beachhouse, hung up the uniform clothes in his wardrobe, and then sat and ate his meal. Afterwards, he went down to the kitchen to dispose of the containers, and he went out for a walk.

Following the sound of the seagulls calling, he found his way over to the wharves along the riverside. The river was wide, flat and as calm as a mill pond, shining in the late-afternoon sunshine. He sat on the edge of the wharf, watching it for a while.

Spotting an old, rusty-iron, ladder, he stood and shucked off his clothes, climbed down the ladder and quietly slid into the water. He drifted on the surface, enjoying the feel of the cold water on his skin, and then he rolled over and with a powerful kick, he was gone – swimming rapidly down the river, beneath the surface.

The sky over Westpoint displayed another of its characteristic sunsets. It faded as the day turned into night. The streetlights came on and Jon appeared again, shedding water as he ran up the ladder.

He put his clothes back on and, carrying the sneakers in one hand, he went back to the Beachhouse to shower and bed.

Early next morning, too excited to sleep, he rose, dressed in his new clothes and walked up and down the main street, familiarizing himself with the town and studying the shop windows. When David Craddock arrived at 7am to open up his Supermarket, his newest employee was standing there waiting for him.

“Hello Jon. You’re here bright and early. Really keen are you?”

“Oh, yes sir, Mr. Craddock. I’m really excited. Thank you for giving me a job.”

“You’re welcome. We can always do with enthusiastic workers. It’s just a trial, you know. You’ve got 3 weeks to show us what you can do.”

“I will. I’m going to be the best stock-boy that you’ve ever had!”

And he was. He spent the first day in training with David’s daughter, Dulcie. By the end of the day she was quite exhausted. This boy was so quick! He just never stopped. He spent his breaks, and the lunch-hour, studying the aisles and familiarizing himself with the store. By late afternoon he was confidently answering questions, advising and directing customers like he’d been there forever.

Before the week was over, all thoughts of his being on trial were forgotten. This kid, with his winning smile and engaging friendly manner, was too good to lose. “The best damm stock-boy ever.” He did everything asked of him and more and still had time to chat and charm the customers.

The Craddocks were very impressed and a bit in love with him already, and so, it seemed, was Westpoint. The customers adored him and sought him out, even it was just to say “hello.” The Supermarket’s taking were up already as people kept finding excuses to come back.

He tirelessly answered a hundred questions a day, rarely getting stumped and taking the time to find the answers when he didn’t know. He carried people’s bags, loaded their cars, reached for items from high shelves and often put things back on the shelves, showing shoppers where they could get a better bargain. All with a friendly smile and nothing, it seemed, was any trouble at all.

On Friday, they tried putting him on a ‘check-out’, but that was a disaster. Still friendly and charming, he did his work quietly and efficiently, but nobody wanted to be served by anyone else. The other check-out tellers sat twiddling their thumbs while all the customers queued to be served by the blond-haired, laughing boy. David soon sent him back to stocking the shelves and keeping the customers happy.

The kid was a star! He was the first one there in the mornings and the last to leave at night. On Friday afternoon, David handed him his first pay-check and congratulated and thanked him.

“I think that we can forget about your being on trial. As of now, you’re on the staff, Jon. Keep up the good work and thanks again. You’ll find a bit extra in your pay – a bit of a bonus to say thank you and welcome to Food-World.”

“Thank you, Mr. Craddock. You didn’t have to do that. I’m just trying to earn my wages.”

“You’ve certainly done that, and more. See you on Monday.”

“Oh, yes Sir! I’ll be here and waiting. I’m really loving this. Thank you for giving me a chance.”

Away from his work, it was a completely different story. He wasn’t anti-social, was still friendly, but just not talkative. He didn’t seek people out or go where they were. Each day he went home to his room where he sat and ate his one meal for the day – usually cold fruit and vegetables, but sometimes prepared salads from the Supermarket. (They saved end-of-line stock for him that had reached its expiry date. Either for a cut-rate or for free).

Later, he stripped naked, wrapped a towel around his waist and went over to the riverside wharves where he slipped down and ladder and into the water. He left the towel waiting on the ladder until he returned after dark.

Then he would go back to his lodgings to shower and sleep in preparation for another busy day.

By the end of the second week, David Craddock was wishing that he had two or three more kids like Jon, then he’d have the only shop in town. Bruce Johnson, the owner/operator of the town’s other supermarket, was wishing that he had this Jon working for him. His store’s takings were noticeably down while the Craddocks’ were up.

Mr. Johnson actually waited and waylaid the kid on his way home one day and offered him a job in his store.

“Oh, no. Thank you, Mr. Johnson, but I’ve already got a job. I work for Mr. Craddock.”

“I know that, Boy. That’s my problem. Whatever David Craddock’s paying you, I’ll pay you more – much more.”

“No thank you, Sir. I don’t need any more money, I have enough now.”

“But if you get a decent wage, you could afford somewhere nicer to live – somewhere better than that horrible old Beachhouse.”

“I like living at the Beachhouse. The people there are nice to me and it’s really close to the river. I love the river.”

“Ah well, I can’t make you, but anytime you want more than what you’ve got now, you come and see me. I’ll give you a better job and more money.”

“Thank you, Mr. Johnson, but I like the job I’ve got now. Mr. Craddock has been good to me.”

“So he bloody should be. You’ve been good for him, Boy!”

Dulcie Craddock, standing back in a shop doorway, unashamedly listened to that conversation and, when she went home, she told her father and insisted that he give the kid an increase in wages – again.

After a couple of weeks, the whole town was talking about and was enamoured with the unusual boy who spent his days working cheerfully, helping and charming all the customers in Craddocks’ Supermarket. The older generation especially, really liked this ‘lovely boy.’ Little old ladies paid extra attention to their appearance when going shopping.

Dee and the Lyons ‘twins’ heard all about him, of course – it was a small town. They each came, individually, seeking him out. But, while he was friendly enough to them, it was no more than to anyone else, and he couldn’t talk for long. He was always in demand and kept very busy. He didn’t want to meet them after work.

“No. I can’t. Thanks, but I’m really busy, there’s just not enough hours in my day.”

Busy doing what? They all wondered. He just seemed to work and swim, somewhere. Nobody knew what he was doing down in the river. He wouldn’t say. “Just swimming”, was his only answer.

Then, about 3 weeks after he arrived, two things happened that would change his quiet life forever.