Rita Braithwaite, Selby & District u3a
Yorkshire and the Humber Region
The Flower Girl
Having a leisurely cuppa she was routinely scanning the paper, flicking past the Hatches, Matches and Despatches, she’d had enough of them, she spotted the advertisement hidden among those for wagon drivers and warehouse men……… Opening for Part time Assistant to Freelance Florist. Experience preferred but flexibility more essential. Some antisocial hours and weekend work, apply to *07*********.
It was her secret dream, how she would have loved to train as a florist. In her day it would have meant being apprenticed and her family could not afford her not to earn her living. She had enjoyed her time as a clerk before her marriage, the farm and family came along, but no one dreamed of being a clerk, not like they did of being a florist.
Now she was on her own, she could certainly be flexible (though she hoped they didn’t mean in body, even Yoga with u3a had not quite achieved that).
Being so long on the farm and her time as long-term carer for her parents then for Paul, her much loved but now departed, husband had kept her pretty active, but she was no longer a spring chicken.
Perhaps she would be too old, maybe her lack of employment experience over so many years would go against her. She aired her concerns with Paula. “Oh Mum, you could do it with your eyes closed” “you have always loved flowers and joining, then leading the u3a Group must surely count for something “
She put the paper to one side, she really wasn’t sure she dared apply. She put it to the back of her mind and tried to avoid thinking about it over the next few days.
The weekend peelings were destined for the compost bin and she was wrapping them in the newspaper when the advertisement once again drew her in.
Oh well, nothing to lose, be brave, send a text and at least Paula cannot then say you were a coward.
As she returned from the compost bin her mobile pinged……. A message…….. “can you pop in to see me? Violet at “The Flower Girl” oh what a fabulous name for a florist.
Following the directions she drove down the lane to the farm. Spotting the ribbon tied to the old Byre door as Violet had promised she parked and tentatively knocked.
No reply……… she knocked again………” Please, come in! A muffled voice” replied.
She peeped through the door and there surrounded by leaves and hidden behind a mass of larkspur, carnations, roses, gypsophila and eucalyptus was a slender, pretty, young girl, red hair tied fastened with a bright green elastic band, which had obviously once constrained rose stems. ‘Please reach me that ribbon, I usually remember to get a length ready before I start making up the bunch but forgot this time”.
“It’s a rush order for 10 bunches needed in the next hour are you able to help? Now? Please?”
She looked around and saw the broom, sweeping the leaves to one side she stepped up to the buckets and they quietly worked side by side and swiftly had the hand tied bunches done and popped into the cellophane lined transport boxes.
“Can you come for a ride into the dale, up to Fell Top Hotel with me and we can chat along the way?”
The flowers safely installed in the van off they went.
“Tell me a bit about yourself” Violet said as they tootled along the country lanes.
“I am close to sixty, a farmer’s widow and I have not held a proper job for forty years” she replied, heart sinking at just how pathetic she sounded. “I cared for my parents who passed a couple of years ago and then for Paul who died earlier this year”
Violet took a deep breath, and firmly pronounced, “you have been a farmer’s wife. That alone is a full time “proper” job”. “And I know from watching my Mum that being a carer is no lightweight thing”.
“I assume you did early mornings on the farm?” “You would not mind early starts on cold dark mornings?” She nodded, feeling the faintest glimmer of hope. At least Violet had not said “No, she was not suitable” well not yet.
“You made up the bunches very competently, have you had floristry experience?” this was the cruncher, the nail in the coffin of her fading hopes. “No, I haven’t but I have done a couple of years as a member of the local u3a Floral Art Group and have been leader for a year. I have learned much by watching YouTube videos, then practicing with the group”
They arrived at the hotel and carried the bouquets into the reception area. “Oh! thank you, they are beautiful” the manager declared, “our usual florist has covid and is quite unwell. We really appreciate your stepping in. It will not be forgotten, please let us have your bill and it will be swiftly paid” Waiting staff whisked them away.
Their chat continued as they made their way back to the farm.
“I am just nicely building up my business and cannot pay very much more than minimum rate, at the moment, but would hope to pay more in due course” Violet continued “plus the hours will be very irregular “How would you feel about that?”
“I don’t need a great deal of money, we were not rich, as tenant farmers but my needs are well met, but I do need to be busy”
Violet looked across at her and smiled, “Would you be willing do a trial month, see how we get along?”
Her heart sang, she had a chance, a proper job after all these years! She would give it her all.
She was so excited, she could not wait to get home and tell Paula, she would be surprised.
Then she worried, was Violet sure?……….”do you not want to see if you can get someone younger? Someone with experience? Someone fitter? Why would you want me?”
“I had a couple of enquiries from a couple of school leavers, but they saw only the glamour of producing wedding bouquets, plus they had need of a full wage. They were not too keen on the early morning start either. When we made the delivery I could not tell which bouquets I had made and which were yours, so that was telling……. but the real clincher was when you picked up the broom before you started, that told me much I needed to know about you”
“One thing though, I know quite a bit about you, but you have not told me your name”
She smiled, “oh I am sorry, of course, I should have said, my name is Marguerite, but I am usually known as Daisy”
Fast forward two years. An advertisement in the local paper reads, Opening for Assistant florist, no experience needed, some early mornings and weekend work, please apply to Violet or Daisy at The Flower Girls.