Dishwasher Wednesday Apr 22 2019

Trixie spent most of her day at Effie’s Aunt’s house where she found the paperwork for Roger and helped him file several years of late tax returns. Trixie also helped Effie’s aunt sort out her husband’s life insurance and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) account. By the end of the day both Roger and his mother had a reasonable budget and some money to spend each week. Roger could save for the future and have some spending money too.

Bobbie set out to find herself a dishwasher. She found the house and knocked on the door. The Matron answered and she said she would ask the girls if they were interested in a job. Bobbie waited until she was led to a dining room where 5 girls sat. Bobbie felt self conscious and a little silly standing there in front of them so she sat at the table. “Hi, I own a new restaurant just outside town and am looking to hire a dishwasher.”

One girl looked at her scornfully. “Dish washing is a shit job. I don’t want no shit job.” She and 3 of the girls left.

That left one. “Hi, my name is Bobbie.”

The large black girl smiled, revealing 2 cracked stubs of teeth. “I’m Rose.”

“Would you’d like to work in my restaurant.”

“Is it very far away? I have to stay here at night for one more week.”

“It is quite far away but I’ll get someone to pick you up in the mornings if you are interested in working.

Rose looked suspicious.“For real?”

“Yes.” Said Bobbie. “I just fixed up the old motel and restaurant out near Oceanbright.” That was the community near the motel were Effie and Mark lived.

“My Aunt lives out that way. I might be able to stay with her, if I can pay.”

“Will you let me pick you up tomorrow and take you out to the motel? You can look around and see if you like it. I’ll bring you home too.”

“Sure.” Said Rose smiling, holding her hand up to cover her mouth protectively.

“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow around 10.”

On the way out Bobbie went to find the matron. She explained that Rose was the only girl that was interested and she was picking her up tomorrow at 10 and would bring her back at the end of the day, if that was OK.

“Rose has not had an easy time Mam. She was raised by an abusive father who beat her and who knows what else and she ended up in the system as a teen. Then she was a repeat shoplifter, enough for her to get time in detention. “

“What did she shoplift?”

“Food mostly, her foster parents probably put her up to it.”

Bobby was quiet for a moment then asked about the Aunt who lived outside town.

She visited and seemed nice but where was Rose’s aunt when Rose needed her all those years?

“Is the father still around?” Asked Bobbie.

“No he died in that big apartment fire a couple years ago.”

Bobbie thanked her, told her she’d see her tomorrow and went and sat in her car. So the mean old bastard, was the guy that died in that apartment fire. She was just superstitious enough to think she was meant to find Rose.

That evening Trixie went up to Bobbie’s apartment to visit and explain how she made out with Roger. “I Mean the woman worked seasonally and Hub took care of all the finances and he wasn’t very good at it. She gets a bit of CPP, and a bit from her late husband.” Sighed Trixie. ”She has some insurance money to live on for a while and at 65, will have old age and GIS (guaranteed income supplement) With a proper budget, she can make it work.”

Bobbie hugged her and said. “You can’t give everyone in the world a budget Trixie.”

“Many people would not follow it even if I did.” She pulled out a piece of paper. “Roger will follow a budget though. At least his mamma doesn’t need his money now. Effie and Drey moved into a three bedroom apartment in their building and are letting Roger stay with them. He agreed that I will pay his bills before he gets his allowance.”

Then Bobbie smiled. “I found our dishwasher.” She explained that Joan told her to pick someone unskilled and needing help. “So I found a girl who definitively could use a break. She was in jail because her foster family made her steal food and she was from a abusive background. You won’t believe this Trixie. The man that abused her, her Father, died in that apartment fire.”

Trixie knew all about the ring and the fire and Karl, George’s son maybe starting the fire and said “you’ve got to be kidding!”

“Right? It’s fate. She might be big and not so attractive and maybe can’t read, but I think she’s our dishwasher. I’m going to pick her up tomorrow at 10 and get her some clothes and take her to lunch and then we’ll come to the hiring meeting.”

The next day, Bobbie hit the road around 9:30 and pulled up to the Half-way house. Rose was sitting outside. Bobbie got out of the car and walked up to her. “Hi Rose, it’s a nice day today I’m here to pick you up but I thought we could so a little shopping first.”

“OK.”

Bobbie led her to the passenger side and opened the door, “We’re going to get you some safety shoes and work clothes. We do that for all the staff and if you don’t want to work for me, you may as well keep them.” Bobbie was a little worried that the aprons she had at the restaurant wouldn’t fit Rose very well and she knew George’s store had all sizes. They got a pair of work shoes and 2 pairs of work pants and 2 aprons. “If you’re still happy shopping, we could go get a few more things you might need.” So the went to another store and got rose a nice pink hoodie (Rose’s choice) and a nice pair of pink sweatpants and some jeans that fit. She also got some new undergarments and socks. “It’s nice for you to have a few new things, just to have. You can keep the work clothes at the motel break room and wear the new things, if you like.”

“So what’s your favourite food? I’m starved.” Bobbie decided to go to the community college restaurant because there were a lot of young people around and lots of good food.

They settled on chicken dinner and pie for dessert. As they ate, they chatted. “This college has lots of courses like cooking and computer and engine repair and welding and carpenter woodwork. Do you ever think you’d like to learn anything like that?”

Rose looked up. “I always wanted to look after animals”

“That’s great. One of my sons, Charlie, always wanted to be a Veterinarian too but he changed his mind and now he’s a nurse”

“Being a nurse is good too.”

“We should head out, my friend and financial wizard Trixie, set up some sort of orientation for you and a couple of other people we’re hiring at the motel.”