Working....

I had also planned to go to Birmingham over the summer, but couldn’t. I thought I would find the money, but I hadn’t counted on my dear boss at the supermarket... He had promised me a job for the end of June and then the whole month of July. However, everytime I called to know when I would be starting, it was something like: “I don’t have any work for you this week, but don’t worry, you’ll start next week”. After a while, I went there, and then, he actually told that they now had a new big boss who wasn’t so keen on hiring any new staff. Of course, by that time, I had refused another job. I was soo fuming! Fortunately, my mother hired me for what was left of the summer at her job.

So I spent the summer (like many summers before this one) working at Plouaret’s retirement Home (if that’s how it’s called). It was quite nice. It might sound strange, but I always enjoy working there. Some of the people living there are very nice, and I now know some of them quite well. After all, I first worked there eight years ago! Well, some of them have died, of course, and some new ones have arrived...

One of my favourites has always been Olga: she is something like 97, and she had told me about her life last summer. She (if I remember correctly) had been a dressmaker in Paris until her retirement, and told me about her family and all. Quite extraordinary! And I loved seeing her daughter visit her. Her daughter is about 76, has red hair, and extravagant clothes she fashions herself.

This summer, I mainly had to bring lunch to old people who still lived at home. I would visit about 30 of them in 2 hours. Very tiring work, but quite nice. I met my great-grand-aunt this way. My great-grand-mother died when I was two, and, believe it or not, I still remember her! Anyway, she wasn’t really my great-grand-mother, but my great-grand-father’s second wife, but she was always considered as part of the family. From what I know, she raised my grand-father, as his mother had died when he was still very young.

So, Maryvonne, my great-grand-mother, would have been 117 this year, so I hadn’t been expecting to meet her living sister! Except that Maryvonne was the eldest in a very big family. Her sister was the 13th child (and maybe not the last, I don’t know), and is 96... She is a very sweet woman, and, from what I saw, will probably live during many more years :)

I finished working there on Thursday. I had expected to start at the supermarket next week, as had been promised by Monsieur Charles (the dear boss I mentioned earlier), but it apparently wasn’t to be. I went to see him so that we could talk about it, sign the promised 10-months contract maybe, but once more, he wasn’t sure he would be able to hire me because of his new boss. Bullshit in my opinion. Fortunately, I had had a phone call two days earlier from Habitat, saying they would like to meet me for a job interview. I hadn’t called them back yet, as I had first wanted to know about the supermarket.

So I did call them back and had an interview the very same day (last Thursday). And: THEY HIRED ME!! I was so thrilled when I had the news!! Habitat is a great shop, kind of like IKEA, but much more expensive, and much better quality. Last, but not least, it’s basically round the corner from my flat! The downside is (yes, there is one), it is only for two months... However, I personally prefer working during two months there than ten months at a supermarket that is on the other side of town!

Oh, and I don’t work on Wednesdays and Saturdays, which leaves me plenty of time with my son, and I don’t work on Thursday afternoons either, which is when I have singing lessons: that job was clearly waiting for me!