Chapter 2: Pepper
And at that point in my life, I’m pretty sure, I resolved that I’d start eating peppers. These people knew their shit. There was obviously a big middle class secret here that had to be known.
There were, apparently, several applicants for the job of weekend Sales Assistant at The Cottage Garden Centre. I had to be interviewed. On a Saturday, quite early, before the shop opened.
Audrey and Derek were the owners. Audrey was prim. Derek was chubby with illogical side-burns and was ruddy. But they seemed decent and smiled a lot. They seemed to like me, which was a good sign. And it was a good sign because I got a short, hand-written note a few days after my ‘interview’ to confirm that I had, indeed, got the job as the shop assistant, boy wonder. I’m not absolutely sure if there were any other applicants, to be honest.
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