‘I did take some time after the incident though remember.’ Merri grimaced as she felt her face flush from the memory of the chaos she’d caused in the bakery that morning.
Pausing from rolling out the dough, Elsie looked at her and raised her eyebrows. ‘That was time to put your feet up for a bit, it wasn’t supposed to be taken off your lunchbreak.’
Merri laughed. With any other employer she’d had she’d have been arguing her case to keep her lunchbreak after the mess she’d created earlier, not being told off for getting back from her break early. ‘And you wonder why I was so eager to come back and volunteer here. You’re the complete opposite to most bosses.’
Elsie frowned. ‘Not yours I hope, love? We’re all human and should be treating others how we expect to be treated ourselves.’
‘Umm, mine’s okay. I mean, he let me take this holiday, didn’t he? I’d had my quota already this year when I came to the bay in the summer, but he let me take this unpaid leave quite readily.’ Merri bit down on her bottom lip. ‘In fact, he couldn’t have been happier about me taking unpaid leave. He even tried to encourage Martha, the other person besides my boss, Brian, to take unpaid holiday time over Christmas too.’
‘He understands how important the holidays are to some people then?’
‘Actually, now you mention it, no. We normally have to work over Christmas. Merri shook her head. No, that wasn’t it. That wasn’t the reason. Not if she thought back to last Christmas, or any of the six previous Christmases she’d worked at the paper supply firm in that case. Any other time he’d have been begging her not to go and insisted both she and Marth work most of the festive season. They’d be given Christmas Day and Boxing Dayoff but that was it. He’d always had big orders to fulfil in time for the new year.
‘Perhaps it’s a special year for him this year? An important anniversary or something, or else he’s got family commitments.’ Elsie picked up two cookie cutters and held them up. ‘Santas or robins?’
‘Robins.’ Merri pointed to the cookie cutter on the right. She couldn’t shake the bad feeling which was quickly developing in the pit of her stomach. Brian had been acting oddly at work for weeks now, slipping out for meetings which weren’t scheduled in his diary, jumping every time his phone rang and ushering her and Martha out to ‘get milk’ or ‘take a break’ so he had the office to himself. And as far as she was aware, he’d not even put an order in for January and he usually did so at the beginning of November. No, something wasn’t right. ‘I think he might be selling the business. Or its going bust. Something. Something’s definitely going on.’
Elsie lowered the cutters slowly. ‘Has he said anything?’
‘Nope. Nothing, but there’s so many things which have happened these last couple of months which don’t make sense. Not unless he’s preparing to fold the business or to sell it.’ Yes, now she’d begun to think about it, that must be what he was doing. But where did that leave her?
‘And what will you do if he does?’ Elsie spoke quietly, seemingly aware of Merri’s thoughts.
Looking up, Merri caught her eye. ‘I have absolutely no idea. This is the seventh year I’ve worked there, and I’m not trained to do anything else.’
‘I’m sure that’s not true.’
‘It is. Before working for Brian, I worked for my dad before he took early retirement. In fact, I only got the job at Brian’s office because my dad knows him and put a good word in for me.’ She took another sip of hot chocolate, her mouth suddenlyfelt very dry. The worry of losing her job now felt very real and if she couldn’t afford the rent then she knew Aggie would kick her out of the flatshare. She’d been vying to get her booted out for ages now. What would she do? She couldn’t very well turn up at her dad’s house, not now his new wife and her kids had moved in. There simply wouldn’t be the room for her and, besides, that was the last thing she’d want anyway, to watch her dad play happy families when she’d missed out on that herself.
‘You have your experience here. You’ve worked behind the bakery counter and serving cakes and coffees, that will open up opportunities.’
‘I suppose so.’ She nodded. Elsie was right, at least she had the extra experience now.
‘Or there’s your willow weaving.’ Elsie smiled as she picked up the cutter again and began cutting the cookie dough.
Merri scrunched up her nose. As much as she loved her new hobby, that was all it was. Not once had she seen a job role advertising for that particular skill. ‘I can’t imagine there’re many jobs which require someone to be able to make things out of willow.’
‘Perhaps not many jobs working for other people, although I’m sure there are some, but it could open up a lot of avenues for you to go self-employed.’ Placing the cutter down again, Elsie held her hand up, pushing down a finger every time she listed an opportunity. ‘You could make baskets to order, open a bespoke business taking bespoke orders, make willow baskets and ornaments to sell at craft fairs, get your work into local shops or even teach willow weaving.’
‘I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t know the first thing I’d need to do to do any of those things.’ She shook her head. However much she the idea of working for herself excited her, she just didn’t have the skills. She didn’t know the first thing about starting her own business.
Elsie shrugged. ‘Of course you could. Put your mind to something and you’ll achieve it. No problem. Why don’t you have a word with Carrie? She teaches pottery and also sells her creations at craft fairs and the like. She’d be able to give you an idea at least.’
‘Maybe.’ She’d met Carrie during her summer stay, maybe she could speak to her, ask her and get a bit of an idea about running a business. Just in case. ‘I don’t even know for sure if the business is closing. It just looks that way, now I’ve actually thought about it.’
‘Hopefully it’s not then. I aways think there’s no point worrying about something until it happens.’ She placed a perfectly cut robin onto a baking tray in front of her. ‘Of course, there’s no harm in planning for different scenarios, but no point in worrying over something which might never happen.’
‘No, that’s true.’ Bringing her mug to her lips, Merri took a long sip. The only problem was that now she’d thought about the possibility of moving on, she couldn’t remember what was keeping her working there. Yes, she had the stability. Or had had the ability. Might still have the stability, but perhaps not. She shook her head. She was dreaming. In a few weeks’ time she’d be back home, living with Aggie and her almost permanently moved in boyfriend, be visiting her dad and his new family every Sunday and life would continue. As normal. The same. Everything would be the same.
‘Are you okay, love? You look deep in thought.’ Tilting her head, Elsie looked at her.
Downing the last dregs of her hot chocolate, Merri then set the mug down in front of her. ‘Sorry, all this talk about the paper business potentially closing down has just got me thinking, that’s all. I’ve been there seven years now, maybe it’s time for a change whether or not I’m forced into redundancy?’
Elsie placed another cookie dough robin on the tray. ‘There are always options, love. Even when it feels as though there are none.’
‘I guess so.’ Merri pushed herself from the stool she was sitting on. ‘Which bus do I need to take to get to the Christmas Tree Farm?’
‘Oh, I don’t think there’s a bus. You’re welcome to take the bakery van though. It’s fully insured for volunteers and staff.’ Elsie nodded towards the back of the kitchen. ‘The key’s on the shelf at the back there, but, honestly, I can get a wreath another time or else ask Nick to drop one off. I see his truck delivering Christmas trees most days recently.’
