Chapter 26

Amelia-Rose flushed with embarrassment completely lost for words, as she stood in his tiny office. She'd never paid much attention to her credit card account. There had always been enough to make any purchase she wanted.

She apologized profusely to the man and escaped as fast as she could away from his kind but troubled eyes.

She found the seafront and walked along beside the beach until her nerves had stopped jangling. After the embarrassment of her credit card, she didn't want to take further chances by trying to give him a check until she'd confirmed the balance in her account.

Bitterly, she now wished she'd paid more attention to her finances. She turned and walked up the center of the town and found a cash machine. It would at least give her the price of her fare home.
 
Aghast, she watched her cash card disappear into the machine too. The balance on her account showed that she was in unauthorized overdraft.

Although the town was well supplied with shops, there were not many people on the streets that day. But, to Amelia-Rose, every one of them was watching her. She felt wretched. This shouldn't be happening to her. She was above these things.

She saw a job shop run by a government agency, took a deep breath and walked inside. There was a middle-aged lady sitting behind a low desk. She'd a kind face and small spectacles that made her look like a schoolmistress. Amelia-Rose explained about her work experience, which wasn't much, and the lady registered her.

"There's not much at the moment," she said. "Most of the jobs around here are in caring for the elderly. You didn't mention any experience in that area."

"I quite hoped to find something in sales or marketing, or possibly using my musical qualifications," said Amelia-Rose with a catch in her voice. The day was going from bad to worse.

"The only thing I can say is that you'll find more jobs if you were willing to go more towards the motorway."

"But that's 30 miles," protested Amelia-Rose, "and I haven't a car."

The lady nodded, sympathetically. "Don't worry, we're here to help. Have you thought of moving?"

Amelia-Rose pushed her fingers through her hair with frustration. "I have only just bought a house in the area," she said. "I spent all the money from my divorce on a place to live. It doesn't have a mortgage but I need to earn a living. That shouldn't be too difficult, surely."

"This is the countryside, my dear," the lady said, kindly. "It's not like the town and it's certainly not like London. Things just aren't as busy here. There are many wonderful things about living here but jobs aren't one of them. Now if you will excuse me, there are others waiting."

Amelia-Rose left the brightly colored government agency that advertised it offered jobs but had none to offer and leaned weakly against a high stonewall that led along the side of the car park. A lady twice her age paused and asked if she was well.

"I'm fine," she said. But she had never felt more lonely in her life. Over the months since her divorce, she'd concentrated on rebuilding herself emotionally. Now she realized that neglecting the basic economic considerations of life had left her desperately exposed.

Tears sprang to her eyes. She didn't even have a fare to get her home on the bus or even enough to buy some food to sustain her as she walked the seven miles.

But she had always been a practical and even optimistic person. There was food at home and she would hardly starve even if she walked all the way. So it was with a swing in her step that she headed for the hills above the small market town with a free map she had been given by the local tourist office.

Copyright of this site is Rob Hopcott's, 1999 - 2009, all rights reserved. All characters in this story are fictitious and no reference is intended to any person living or otherwise.
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