Forever Is Over (140 page)

“
Look Kelly, it
’
s simple. You
’
re trying to get back at Jemma for
marrying your ex-boyfriend, but no-one is getting anything positive out
of this at all. You
’
re not feeling good about yourself, look at the state it
’
s
left you in and if Jemma does believe you, that Richie has fathered your
child, it may not only destroy their marriage, but it could destroy the
lives of their two children. Do you want that on your conscience?
”

Kelly sniffed.

“
No.
”

“
So what are you going to do about it?
”

“
I
’
m not apologising to her, Roddy. If I do she
’
s totally defeated
me!
”

“
Kelly! Jemma hasn
’
t tried to defeat you! She may have fallen in love
with someone she wasn
’
t supposed to, but that doesn
’
t make her a bad
person. You need to get over yourself and move on! There are only losers
in this game you
’
re playing, Kelly.
”

“
I know. I
’
m an idiot. I don
’
t even know what you see in me,
Roddy!
”

I moved over and gave Kelly a comforting cuddle.

“
Kelly, you
’
re a mixed up woman but I
’
ve always been able to see
through that. I love the bones of you. Always have. Always will.
”

“
And you think I should apologise to Jemma?
”

“
Ring her and apologise for sayi
ng you were pregnant. You must
admit, Kelly, that was a pretty low stunt! Don
’
t try to patch up all your
differences though, you can
’
t put everyth
ing right in one go. Just make
a start.
”

“
OK. I
’
ll do that, I
’
ll give her a ring.
”

“
When?
”

“
Tomorrow.
”

“
Why not now?
”

“
Because you
’
re here! I want a bit of privacy.
”

“
You will do it though, tomorrow, no backing out?
”

“
No, I promise I
’
ll ring!
”

“
It
’
ll make you feel better about yourself.
”

“
I know. It
’
s hard though, Roddy. I used to idolise Jemma. She was
my big sister and she cared for me more than anyone else. It
’
s just been
a shock discovering she has her flaws like the rest of us.
”

“
Speak for yourself, Kelly! Have you not realised yet that I
’
m
perfect?
”

Kelly puckered up and kissed me on the lips.

“
Perfect for me, Roddy! I
’
m starting to realise that you
’
re perfect for
me!
”

Richie Billingham was a great boss. In fact, let me re-phrase that,
Richie Billingham was the greatest boss I ever had in thirty five years
in the Building Society industry and I had loads!

When he was given the role of Manager in Wigan, Richie must
only have been in his late twenties. Staff
always feel apprehensive when
a new boss starts, but even on his first day at work, the five of us were
immediately enamoured by his cheery disposition, his big booming smile
and his energy and enthusiasm for the role. Richie also made us feel for
the first time in a very long time, like we were a team, a team who were
all dependent on each other. Our branch became a tremendous success,
North West
‘
Branch of the Year
’
three time in five years and National
‘
Branch of the Year
’
once. Richie managed
several agencies too and their
figures went through the roof as well. If Regional or National Managers
came to the branch, any plaudits handed out to Richie were immediately
accredited to the team. No targets felt unachieveable with Richie at the
helm, we all went home each night looking forward to the next day and
whilst Richie was boss, the staff turnover was zero.

Richie
’
s last day will be one of those days that will stay with me
forever. Up until that day, we were all oblivious to the illness. We later
discovered that there were people in Human Resources that knew and
Howard Robinson, our Regional Manager was also aware, but us girls
in the office knew nothing. We wrongly thought everything was as good
as ever. Richie kept the charade going until his final afternoon, then in
his own inimitable way, unleashed hell!

Mid afternoon on that final day, I remember making teas and
coffees, handing all the girls drinks out and then taking Richie
’
s coffee
into his office. Richie always volunteered to do his turn at making the
drinks, but they were vile, like dishwater, so eventually we took him off
the rota. It would not surprise me in the slightest if this was a carefully
executed plan! Anyway, that afternoon, I went into his office, carrying
his coffee and placed it down on the
mat on his desk. Richie was on
the phone, but he gestured for me to sit down, so I took a sat on the
other side of the desk, facing him. Bearing in mind, up until this point
he had been the consummate professional every step of the way, I was
astounded by what I heard.

“
Hello. Could I speak to Mrs. Aldridge please? It is Mrs. Aldridge.
It
’
s Richie Billingham from Red Rose Building Society here, are you
OK to speak for a couple of minutes? You are. Good!
”

Nothing unusual so far, just a stereotypical conversation I would
hear Richie having, day in, day out.

“
Mrs. Aldridge, you have been a regular customer of ours over the
last five years. You have your ISA with us, you have your savings account
with us, until you paid it off, you had your mortgage with us and I just
wanted to say that in my fifteen years in the Building Society industry,
you rank amongst the most unpleasant customers I have ever had the
misfortune to have to deal with
…
.
”

I could not believe my ears!

“
No, no, Mrs. Aldridge, you did hear me correctly. I did say
UNpleasant. Do you ever smile Mrs. Aldridge, because I have often
seen you pulling a face like someone
’
s anal sphincter is vibrating right
next to you, but even on a sunny day in summer, I have never witnessed
the merest hint of a smile from you. You moan about your pension, you
moan about the heat, the cold, the rain, the sun, the snow, the frost,
the waiting times, the interest rates and the cost of everything. You
never say please or thank you, I just wanted to phone you to say you are
a rude, unlikeable character, Mrs. Aldridge and
…
.you
’
ve never been
so insulted
…
.well maybe that
’
s because people in this country witter
on behind people
’
s backs rather than say things to their face
…
.you will
have been insulted just as badly, Mrs. Aldridge, you just didn
’
t get to
hear about it. Goodbye!
”

Richie grabbed a pen and crossed out some writing on a piece of
paper.

“
Richie, what are you doing?
”

“
It
’
s my lottery hit list, Mavis. I always said that if I won the lottery,
I would ring everyone on this list and tell them exactly what I really
thought of them!
”

I felt a temporary buzz of excitement.

“
Richie, are you telling me that you have won the lottery? How much have you won? Don
’
t tell me it
’
s millions!
”

I felt if anyone I knew won the lottery, it would be Richie. Everything
he touched seemed to turn to gold. His work record was impeccable,
his wife was drop dead gorgeous, his children were stunning, they all
had personalities to match, it would just be typical if he won the lottery
too. Or so I thought.

“
Mavis, I haven
’
t won the lottery! If I had, I
’
d have walked out of
here and never come back and between you and I, that
’
s what I
’
ll be
doing at the end of today.
”

Now, I was worried.

“
Why, Richie? What
’
s the matter?
”

Richie looked at me solemnly.

“
I
’
ve got cancer, Mavis. I
’
ll sit all the girls down before I go home
and I
’
ll talk it through with them, but before I do, I
’
ve got twenty three
more customers, one former boss and an ex-boyfriend of Jemma
’
s to
phone, to let them all know what I think of them! I
’
ve already phoned
fifteen in the last hour and you know what Mavis, it
’
s been the best
working hour of my life! Very therapeutic! I figured that over the next
few months, I
’
d be telling my nearest and dearest how much they mean
to me, but before I did, I wanted to rid
my body of any hatred I might
be bottling up!
”

“
Are you dying, Richie?
”

I thought he must be. How could he be leaving forever if he wasn
’
t
dying?

“
I hope not, Mavis! I
’
ve got to start chemotherapy next week, but if
I get over this, I want a totally fresh start, I
’
ve loved working with you and the rest of the girls, but I just don
’
t enjoy the job itself any more. Life is short, Mavis and if I
’
m not enjoying what I
’
m doing, it
’
s time to
make a change.
”

“
What will you do?
”

”
I
’
m not sure, I might go back to college and re-train. I
’
m going to
beat the cancer into submission first and then have a really good think
about it after that.
”

“
The girls will all be devastated.
”

“
That I
’
m ill or that I
’
m leaving?
”

“
Both. We
’
ve never had a boss like you, Richie. All the others
have been out to boost their own careers and haven
’
t given a damn
about impressing those graded below them, all they have cared about is
impressing the people above. You value us, Richie and that
’
s been really
important to all of us.
”