New Story - With new ideas and directions to hand. I'm writing this and posting it straight onto Steemit - You can not get more exclusive than that! 18

Justin ‘humphed’ at the logic, but was still grumpy at the prospect.

“So what are we going to do about Brenda?” Robin asked.

“I dunno. I need someone to keep this place clean and tidy. I know I don’t mess it up, apart from my dishes, but it looks bad if I get a visit from the nurse,” Justin said.

“I’ll do it,” Ash said in a quiet voice.

“You what, lad?” Justin asked.

“I said I’ll do it. Whatever it is that Brenda’s supposed to do, I’ll do it.”

Robin looked at Justin and Justin looked back at Robin.

“Why didn’t you think of that?” Justin asked Robin and then turned back to Ash to study her. “OK then, how much is that going to cost me?”

“I dunno. How much did you pay her?”

“Thirty quid a week,” Justin said.

“And the fucking rest! She was robbing you blind!” Robin said in exasperation. “Even if you pay Ash fifty quid a week, you’ll still be better off than having that lazy bitch coming in here.”

“Is that ok then lad?” Justin said after a moment’s thought. “Fifty quid – but that’s including what I was giving you anyway. You still get to empty the piss bucket. This is additional, not a fucking promotion.”

Ash’s eyes grew wide, not only at the prospect of fifty quid a week, but at the additional work she’d just volunteered for. What was it they said in the army? Never volunteer for anything…

“Well kid? You were all enthusiastic about it just now. Are you gonna do my housework or do I have to find someone to do it?”

“No, I mean, yes! I’ll do it. I won’t be able to fit it all in at dinner time though, but I’ll be able to do it all.”

“Set to it then, kid!” Justin barked.

Ash glanced over to him to see how annoyed he was, but he was grinning. Ash grinned back.

Justin’s grin slipped a little and his own eyes widened – just a little, but Ash wondered what he’d thought just at that moment.

Ash went into the kitchen to search for cleaning equipment.

She came to the living room door with one scabby-looking sponge, one rubber glove with a finger-end missing, an empty bottle of dishwashing soap, and a bucket.

“The bucket is ok. I know it doesn’t leak, it’s the one I used for taking all that extra piss out in, the first week I worked here,” she said, holding up the cleaning kit like trophies.

“It looks like you’ve been out of washing-up liquid for a while,” she said.

“You’d best go and fetch some cleaning stuff, I suppose,” Justin said.

“Give him a tenner from my wallet, will you?” he said to Robin.

“Do you want a receipt?” Ash said as she took the tenner.

“A what? A receipt? Why, are you planning to rob me too?”

“No, I want you to know that I’m not,” she said.

“If I thought you were going to rob me, you’d not still be working here, kid.”

“So why didn’t you sack Brenda?” Robin said, in a cocky voice.

“Shut up, you, bringing logic to the conversation,” Justin said and grinned at Robin.

“Go on, lad, I trust you.”

Ash ran to the hardware store and bought replacements for the sponge and gloves. Bleach, floor cleaner and liquid soap for the dishes.

She also picked up a pack of cloths and a scrubbing brush.

She ran back to Justin’s with the carrier bag swinging against her leg but she wasn’t in so much of a hurry that she didn’t notice Nigel across the road, head down, shuffling along. He didn’t look up at her, but she slowed down so as not to draw his attention.

Ash gave Justin his change and showed him what she’d purchased. He nodded and she went into the kitchen to start work.

She still felt a little rough and so she boiled the kettle to make a drink with which to take the cold and flu remedy.

She handed Robin a couple of the tablets too and Justin eyed them with suspicion.

“What’s that? It had better not be drugs,” he said.

Ash fetched the packet she’d thrown in the bin. She showed it to Justin. “No, it’s cold and flu remedy. You don’t get many in a packet to say how much they cost.”

“Go on, they’ll help. I felt better when I took them,” she said.

Robin looked at the two capsules she’d handed him. “No, you’re still poorly, you have them.”

“I’ve got some,” she said. “Look.” She held out her hand, palm-up and showed him the capsules just like his. She popped both in her mouth and washed them down with a swallow of her tea.

It was only then that Robin popped his into his mouth and copied Ash.

“Trusting little beggar, ain’t ya?” Justin said, shaking his head.

“Yeah? Well I’ve been caught out like that, before. Fucking nightmare, I thought I was dying! My brother’s friend was a junkie. He died a few years ago. OD’d on something. It’s really weird, cos his mum is one that goes to church like three times a week.”

“Going to church don’t mean anything,” Justin said in a quiet voice. “I know people that go to church that are the most selfish, judgemental bastards you could meet. Then again, some are kind and would share their last crust if you needed it. People are fucking scumbags or not and all you have to do is learn how to spot which is which from a distance.”

He humphed again. “Not as easy as it sounds.”

Robin and Ash looked at each other in bemusement.

Justin seemed to shake himself and he saw the kids’ matching puzzled expressions.

“Ah, don’t mind me, I’ve had some experience of people, that’s all.”

“OK then,” Ash said.

She drained her cup and went back into the kitchen.

Robin and Justin heard the water running as she set to work.

“Good find there, Rob,” Justin said quietly.

Robin looked to the door as though he could see Ash working in the kitchen. “Yeah, I know,” he said.

Images from google