Chapter 3 Apt 201-3

Iris

I had bumped into an older woman, I realised, and embarrassment filled me. Not only had I bumped into her, but she had spilt two cups of coffee down her front.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry! Did you hurt yourself? Did the coffee scald you?” I asked, my hands hovering in the air. I wanted to help but didn’t know how. The woman gave me a warm smile.

“I’m fine, dear. Don’t worry, the coffee wasn’t hot enough to cause me any harm. How about you? Are you all right?” she said.

“Fine. I’m sorry. I didn’t look where I was going. It’s been quite a day and I was distracted. I’ll pay for the dry cleaning; I’ll give you my number and you can...,” I stopped mid-sentence. I didn’t have a number to give. “I lost my phone. Perhaps I could give you what you think the dry cleaning will cost?” I suggested.

“Are you sure you didn’t get hurt? You look a little pale, dear. Should I call someone?” she asked. I gave her a faint smile. She was so sweet.

“No, thank you. I was just about to check into the hotel.” She looked over her shoulder at the hotel.

“Are you sure about that? Some of the guest lorry drivers sleep there and it’s a decent place, but not really a place for a young woman like yourself,” she pointed out.

“It will be more than enough. I need a place to sleep for a few days while I find a job and an apartment.” Why I was telling her my business, I didn’t know. Maybe it was because she looked and acted so kind.

“Oh, well, I guess it’s better than sleeping on the streets. What kind of work are you looking for?” she asked.

“I would take anything I can get. My last job was as a personal assistant for a mid-level businessman and I have a degree in Business Administration. But I wouldn’t mind working as a waitress or a cleaner. I just need to get some money coming in so I can find a more permanent place to live,” I said. She nodded and hummed. Not that I had any idea how to be a waitress or a cleaner; I couldn’t even remember ever cleaning my room back at the flat. The woman looked around and saw a dustbin. She put the two crumpled cups in it and reached her hand out to me.

“I’m Lena Hughs,” she introduced herself as I shook her sticky hand.

“Iris Heartman,” I said.

“My husband and I own the haulage business next door; we have an open position if you would like to apply for it,” she told me. I glanced over at the huge car park where some lorries were parked.

“That’s most generous of you, but I don’t think I could drive one of those big things. I haven’t driven a regular car since I got my licence,” I confessed. She laughed. It was a warm, soothing laugh.

“Oh no, dear. The position isn’t as a driver. We need a dispatcher, someone who plans the runs, keeps in touch with the lorry drivers and handles the paperwork,” she explained. That sounded more like something I could do. “How about you come over at ten tomorrow and we’ll have an interview and you can meet Jack, my husband?”

“Thank you! I’d love to,” I said.

“Great. Come by at ten. It’s the building just to the right there,” she told me and pointed it out. I nodded.

“I will be there, and then we can settle the dry cleaning bill as well,” I said. She laughed again.

“Don’t bother with that. It was just as much my fault. I was distracted with how to find a new dispatcher and didn’t pay attention. If you can solve my little issue, it will be worth this little accident. I need to run; Jack will come and look for me if I’m not back soon. I’ll see you tomorrow, Iris,” she said and waved.

“Yes, see you tomorrow, Mrs Hughs,” I replied and waved back. I watched her walk away before coming to my senses. I walked into the hotel and asked for a room. I took their cheapest single room and rode the lift up. It was tiny and shook suspiciously, but I didn’t have it in me to climb four sets of stairs with two suitcases. I found my room and went inside. It was small; there was barely room for the armchair that stood in one corner by the only window. There was a single bed and enough space to stand on one side of it. I opened the door to the bathroom and saw a tiny shower, a toilet and a sink. I can sit on the toilet and brush my teeth; that will save time, I thought and snorted. Everything looked clean but worn. I didn’t mind. It was a roof over my head. I desperately wanted a hot shower and to crawl into bed, despite it being early afternoon, but I couldn’t. I needed to get a phone and a new number. I sighed and left my suitcases in the room as I turned around and walked outside. I walked along the street, looking at the different businesses. I found a charity shop and walked into it. I looked around for a while until I found the locked case with electronics. To my relief, they had a number of mobile phones. I asked for help and picked out one of the phones. It wasn’t a new model, and the screen was much smaller than I was used to, but it looked to be in good condition without any cracks. Next stop was a corner shop where I picked up some fruit and a SIM card. I was tempted to get some instant noodles, but I didn’t have a way to heat water. Instead, I stopped in the small coffee shop and bought a salad to go. I realised I needed to get out of the hotel. Eating out was expensive, and even though I had limited cooking skills, I assumed I could manage if I just had somewhere to cook.

I spent an hour setting up my new phone. The first thing I did was write a CV. It wasn’t a long one, and it could have benefited from better design. But it was the best I could do using the resources I had. I walked down to reception and asked if they could print it if I sent it to them. The receptionist said it was possible, for a fee. I was glad my CV was short, as it made the printing cheaper. I went back to my room, sat on the bed and ate my salad while checking my bank account. It wasn’t great news, but it could have been worse. I used my limited internet access to look for flats in the area. I had enough money to pay a deposit for a flat. Perhaps I could manage a month or two on my savings. But after that, I would be broke. Maybe if I sold some of my clothes, I might stretch it for three months. The only reasonable conclusion was that I needed a job; any job would do. An income, even a low one, would help stretch my savings. The best thing would be to find a job that covered my bills, perhaps even leaving me with some money to put into my savings. If today had taught me anything, it was that I needed to take care of myself. I had no idea what a dispatcher made. Hopefully, I would find out tomorrow.