Short story serise:- Second Chance

It was cold in Northampton. It was in the middle of winter and Kate was walking to work. It was pitch black as she walked down the road towards Grafton Industrial Estate. She was wearing a red head band, a tight black V-necked top, black three quarter lengthens, red pumps, a red belt and a red beaded necklace. She was a cinnamon colour with brown hair weaved into her head. She wore it in a short ponytail at the back corner of her head. She had no coat on and she was cursing herself of that fact. She felt foolish every time she kept coming down here, but she had to. She didn’t have many qualifications, and every job she applied for she was immediately turned down. She wanted to go to college but didn’t think it would help her very much, with her history and all.

She turned right and, after a few steps, crossed the road and walked down the long road where she was hoping that she might see her workmates. It was about eleven o’clock, rush hour, as they call it. That was the time that most of their customers came so she would be able to make some money quite quickly.

Just as she thought, the others were there, some sitting on the wall and some standing up with a cigarette in their hand. She walked over to them with a smile and they smiled back. It was like a little community that they had going on. They all had to do the same thing so they all knew how hard it was for everyone there. Kate was just new at this. She was only twenty-one and still had the beauty of the young. She had the curves all in the right places; it was like she was made for this job. She didn’t like it obviously, but it was just a little bit of money to keep her life going; her family going.

“Alright girl?” asked Tia, one of the four there.

“Yeah I’m alright. Had much yet?” she asked, acting like she was brave. She was scared, really scared. But to do well at this you had to have a strong mind so she kept herself believing that she was fine.

“Not many. But we should be expecting ‘em now. Rush hour, you know how it is.” Tia spoke with a London accent and Kate loved it. Kate sometimes even tried to copy it herself to see if Tia noticed.

As they were talking a car came by and stopped, but keeping the engine going. The window was wound down and a man’s bold head popped out with a smile. They knew what he wanted and Tia jumped off the wall and ran into the back of the car. They all knew now that she would come back with at least twenty quid.

It finally came to one o’clock in the morning and Kate had made seventy quid. She hated what she had to do for it and wished that she could get a proper job doing something different. But she knew that it was hopeless. She could never do anything worth it. All she wanted to do was become a Court Clarke. Well, fat chance of that happening.

She came home and gave her babysitter, her nineteen year old cousin, twenty quid of the money she had made. She said her thank-you’s and good-bye’s and then went up to bed. She had three children; a six year old girl called Tania, a five year old girl called Misha and a three year old boy called Andre. She loved all her kids dearly but was afraid they would grow to hate her when they finally grew older.

She jumped in the bath and let the water soothe her and then she went to bed. The next day her mother came round to see her at twelve o’clock when the kids were at school. Kate had made them both a hot drink and lunch and then sat down with her as they talked about anything they could think of. Her mother, Carmen, was a very old fashioned woman and believed everyone should live by the bible. And Kate thought in many ways she was right. And her mother always felt like a failure because of her daughter’s job.

“I saw Jess from your work the other day” Carmen said to her daughter. She liked all the women Kate worked with. They were nice people. Carmen never looked at them differently because of what they did for money. She pitied them. And she wished that she could help them. She also wished she could help her daughter.

“Yeah, she told me yesterday. She said you two had lunch.” Carmen looked sad when she knew Kate was on the beat last night.

“Kate, why do you continue to go out there?” Kate had never heard her mother speak to her about her job before. She knew it must have been on her mothers mind. “Do you really want to keep doing this all your life?” Kate was honest and shook her head. “Then go to college. I know it will be helpful.”

“I don’t have hardly any GCSE’s, mum.”

“Well go to college and get them then. And then you can aspire to become a Court Clarke when you finish you’re A-levels.”

“It’s not as easy as that.”

“At least try. For the kids.” Kate promised and wandered what it would be like to go to college. She quite liked the idea of being a student. And then, for no reason at all, she made a promise to herself that she was going to go to college.

The next day she walked up to Northampton College and looked through one of the booklets that told you what courses you can take. She found the one she wanted and asked the lady at the front desk if she could do the ones she chose. She chose Maths, English and Science for GCSE’s and the receptionist looked to see if there were any spaces. Luckily the courses started in a few days and she put her name down for them all. She couldn’t wait to tell her mother that she was going to college.

Once she left the college she took out her mobile phone and dialled her mother’s number. After a few rings her mother answered and she told her all the good news.

“I’m now a student at Northampton College!” Her mother was screaming for joy and so was Kate and everyone was looking at her as she jumped about. She had tears in her eyes. This was a start for her and she wasn’t going to waste such a good opportunity.

A few years later…

Kate strolled into Northamptonshire County Court with her hair up in a bun and a skirt suit on as she clip-clopped in her high heels. She had her folders, files, and papers that she needed for that day. She walked through the metal detector and then walked to where she was supposed to be. She finally had a job. A proper job. She was a Court Clarke. And to add to her luck, she was about to become a Mrs.