I could tell it was a good idea, mentioning a church. He relaxed a little and asked me my name, even though it was in the letter. He's a bit ADD, for a lawyer.
I said, “Fern Henderson. I used to help the janitor in our building, so I know what's involved. You could say I was his assistant.”
He said, “Well, I was hoping for...” He didn't finish the sentence, probably because he knows all the discrimination laws. He was going to say he was hoping for a guy.
Then he said, “Well, here's the situation. My father owns this building but he's in the hospital, so I'm doing this for him for now, but I can't sign anything at this point.” I could tell from the nervous way he said it that there are all sorts of complications with his father and the building.
I nodded. He told me the previous janitor quit, but there were three empty units and someone has to show them and keep an eye on the place and take out the garbage. But it would have to be a “casual arrangement” for now.
He gave me an application to fill in, which was a good sign. But then he said someone else was supposed to come for an interview, which got me all worried again.
He kept looking at his watch while I was filling in the form. He's cute, in a lawyer sort of way.
I remembered to change my date of birth on the form. A lawyer would notice right away. I gave Dr. Cooper's phone number for references.
Suddenly he remembered to ask, “Parles-tu français?”
I figured that's it for me, but by a miracle just as I was saying “Oui, oui” his phone rang and it was someone asking about the apartment. He was really annoyed. He tried not to show it and to answer all the questions, but his voice was all tense. He said they could come see the place on Saturday at two. He shut the phone and he was about to say something when it rang again.
This time the call was in French. It was about something
else, private. Probably some case he's working on. He left the room to talk and when he came back he told me he had to run. He grabbed the paper and said, “I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown.”
Then he asked how soon I could start and I said right away.
So he said, “OK, I have a few more people who called for the job. If you don't hear from me by tomorrow evening it means I found someone else.”
I think I have a good chance, Xanoth. Because think who else might apply. Some druggie or drunk. Or if it's a couple they might want a more reliable job, with a contract.
Also this guy doesn't have a lot of time to interview people. He wants to get it over with. And he believed me about the church. I'm also lucky he forgot about the French.
It's true I don't drink though. When I was going out with Ricardo we drank, but then after we broke up I wasn't interested anymore. Drinking would only make me think of him, and I'd feel like even more of a loser from loserland. I don't like drunk people anyhow. And smoking I promised Mrs. Johnston. I swear I think every kid in her class kept their promise on that.
When I got home I called the Coopers right away so I'd get to them before David. Mrs. Cooper answered.
I said, “Listen, I have to tell you something sad. My mom died of a heart attack.”
She was really shocked. She kept saying oh no, oh no, how dreadful, I'm so sorry, what can we do, when's the funeral, etc. etc. I said there's no funeral because I donated her body and she said, “Oh you poor dear, would you like to come over?”
I said I couldn't right now because I was looking for work. I told her I was applying for a really great job to be the superintendent of a building on Clanranald and I gave their name for the reference. She said she'd give me a “glowing reference,” and she made me promise to call with my new phone number if I got the job.
I said, “I didn't mention my age,” and she understood right away and said, “Don't worry, I won't breathe a word about it.” She probably doesn't know exactly how old I am.
I felt better after talking to her. At least she knew Mom.
Yours forever,
Fern
Tuesday
December 11
Hi Xanoth,
David called this afternoon. I was watching boring TV just to pass the time, and I jumped practically to the ceiling when the phone rang.
He said I got the job, and could I come over tonight for instructions. I didn't show how happy I was. I only asked when I should come, and he began muttering and mumbling and saying, “Hold on, hold on.” I guess he was checking his appointment book. Finally he said, “Is eleven too late? It's just that I have a crazy day today.”
I said, “No problem, Mr. Frost. I'll be there.” He sounded relieved.
He was late as usual, this time by half an hour. He apologized a few times, but he wasn't really concentrating. He looked really tired and stressed.
We went into the apartment and he gave me printed sheets with information about the vacant units. He said he'll take the calls for the rest of the week, but if I could move in by Friday that would be great.
He said I have to keep the building clean and shovel the
snow out front and put salt down when it's icy. For the driveway a company comes with a machine. The driveway is where I put the garbage. The garbage has to be put out late on Monday and Thursday or before seven in the morning on Tuesday and Friday. I also have to show people the empty apartments, and if they're interested I have to give them an application form to fill in.
There's a secret code for the forms. I have to write 1 if I think the person looks OK, 2 if they're maybe OK, and 3 if they look like they're going to wreck the place and not pay. I'm not allowed to tell anyone about the code.
I also have to make sure everyone pays rent on the first of every month. There's a box in the hallway, and if they don't put their payment in the box I have to knock on their door. If I need to buy fuses or cleaning stuff or garbage bags I have to give David the receipt and he'll pay me back.
He showed me a cabinet with all the keys. It's in the coat closet of the apartment. Then he showed me where the fuse box was and I pretended I knew what it was.
The rent is free, along with heat and hot water and the phone, plus on top of that I get $200 a month. I really didn't expect that. But just as I was getting happy he said, “This is only a trial period. We'll see how it goes. Listen, if you find any files or papers let me know. My father's papers are missing.”
Then he made me sign something about my responsibility if things got damaged in my apartment. He said, “Those people gave you a very good reference.” He sounded like he was trying to convince himself that he wasn't making a mistake.
I said, “You'll be satisfied. I'm very reliable.” He didn't look as if he trusted me, but he probably doesn't trust anyone.
So that's it. I have to move by Friday.
I'll miss this place. Our building's a dump, but the apartment is big â five rooms and a long hallway. And it has wood floors and a balcony in the back facing trees and a clothesline. I don't know how I'll fit our furniture into the new place.
Or how I'll move it all. I guess I'll have to call a mover from the newspaper.
I'm also worried about Beauty. She's going to miss having lots of rooms to prowl around in, and a balcony with trees to stare at.
I forgot to tell you, a letter came yesterday from McGill University. They thanked me for donating Mom's body and furthering science blah blah. They said I'll be invited to a ceremony in June to thank everyone who's donated a body, and there's also a monument at the Mont Royal Cemetery where they'll bury Mom when they finish with her, and I can go visit her there. I don't think I'll want to go to any sort of ceremony, but I called the number on the letter and gave them my new address, in case I change my mind. They caught me just in time.
Now I have to find my French dictionary and make sure I know how to say three rooms, heat and electricity included, $950.
Yours forever,
Fern
Wednesday
December 12
Hi Xanoth,
I took the bus down to Clanranald this morning to clean up the new apartment. I had to buy another strip of six tickets.
The apartment wasn't that dirty, actually. There are lots of cupboards in the kitchen part. The fridge is about a hundred years old, the kind you have to defrost, but it was clean too. I took the weird black roof cover off the table and put it in the equipment closet. You never know when you'll need something like that.
I also took the table and chairs down to the cellar. They aren't as nice as our table and chairs. Maybe at some point I can sell them for five or ten dollars.
When I finished cleaning, I went to the library and wrote down the phone numbers of a few movers from Saturday's
Gazette
.
At first I got into a huge panic, because everyone I called was saying $700 and $1000 for a move. And they were mean too, like they were angry at me for bothering them. That makes sense. Advertise your services, then yell at anyone who calls.
But finally there was one ad that said
SMALL MOVES, AFFORDABLE
. And the guy was normal. He didn't yell. He said if I had another person to help it would be $200. That was a lot cheaper than everyone else, plus he said he could come tomorrow morning, so I said OK.
I don't know how I'll fit all my furniture into one room. Actually, our place came furnished, so the furniture doesn't really belong to me, but I don't think the landlord remembers. What happened was that the old woman who lived here died. No one came to get her furniture, so when we rented the place the landlord raised the price from $400 unfurnished to $450 furnished. That's an extra $600 a year times ten years, plus all the rent hikes which would have been lower had we started off with $400. I think we've earned the furniture by now, especially since it didn't belong to the landlord in the first place.
Apart from the kitchen table and chairs, I have my bed, my night table, my bureau and attached mirror, Mom's double bed, her two bureaus, a sewing table, a cabinet with glass doors and a sofa.
The sofa I can leave behind. It's just junk by now. But everything else is made of nice dark wood.
I also want to keep Mom's belongings. The only thing I got rid of is her toothbrush, because it gave me the creeps. I couldn't get myself to throw it in the garbage, so I wrapped it and buried it. I've been collecting nice paper since I was a little kid, and I have a whole box full of pretty
scraps. I chose a piece of light blue tissue paper to wrap around the toothbrush, and I buried it under some loose linoleum in the closet.
I'm going to miss this place a lot. We lived here a long time. Plus it's where I lived with Mom. Once I leave here, she'll really be gone from my life.
Yours forever,
Fern
Friday
December 14
Hi Xanoth,
I'm in my new apartment. I just woke up and remembered where I was. I must say I was happy that I have a safe place to live in. I took a long shower. It was weird using a different shower with different types of knobs.
Beauty can't figure out what's going on. She's going from corner to corner sniffing and meowing and making sure her food's still there.
The mover, Jeff, was nice. He has this old beat-up truck, and even though it was around minus 20 with the wind chill, all he had on was a sweater and a jean jacket. He thought for sure some guy would be there when he arrived. When I said it was only me, he laughed. I said, “I'm stronger than I look.”
He didn't believe me at first, but when he saw how I lifted things he was impressed. The furniture's pretty heavy, but at least we didn't have to move the fridge and stove. The truck wasn't that big, so we had to make two trips. I had to put Beauty in a box. I had no choice. I'd kill myself if she got lost or run over. She was meowing like crazy.
Jeff laughed some more when he saw the size of the new apartment and what I was bringing into it, and he thought it was hilarious that I'm a janitor.
He said, “Hey, give me a call if you need any help. If I happen to be in the area, I'll drop by.” He gave me his card, just like David. He lives in Verdun.
Before he left, we went down to the boiler room and he explained to me about fuses. It's not as hard as I thought. That was another thing he thought was funny, that I was the janitor and I didn't even know what fuses were. He took off his sweater because it was hot in the boiler room. He has a million tattoos. Some people are addicted to tattoos. I read about that in
Green Needle of Death
.
He didn't come on to me of course. That's one thing I don't have to worry about.
My new apartment looks like a storehouse now, but I like having all the furniture. I haven't finished unpacking, so it's still a mess, with boxes everywhere and no room to move. I have to climb over my bed to get from the bathroom to the kitchen.
I managed to take my bed apart before the move. The two boards are leaning against the wall. I didn't bother bringing my mattress because I'll be using Mom's. Jeff took my mattress and the sofa. He said he could use them in his basement and he took $20 off his price.
Julian came out while we were moving. He kept shouting, “Three months' notice, three months' notice,”
as if he's the landlord. How pathetic can you get? Like he hasn't been ranting about what a crook the landlord is for the past seven or eight years or however long he's lived in his stupid apartment. I ignored him. He tried to get out of me where I was moving to, but I basically told him to take a hike.
I was tired from the moving, but I wanted to clean the stairs, in case David came. The elevator means people don't use the stairs all that much, but they were still pretty dirty.
It was two in the morning by the time I finished. I had some tuna sandwiches and I passed out. For once I didn't have bad dreams.
Yours forever,
Fern