Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (34) The Shopkeepers Heart

Sabr Hemmings was petite and had beautiful strawberry blonde hair and at 27 years old she was running the family business.

The name Sabr was an Arabic word for the Islamic virtue of "patience", although neither Belinda nor her husband were Arabs or Islamists, she read it in a book when she was expecting her daughter and fell in love with the name.

Her mother, Belinda, was now seriously ill, so her father was preoccupied with looking after her and her younger brother Carl was at university.

The Hemmings family had run the Post Office and General Store at the southern end of Sharpington since the 1930’s after a family rift.

Sabr’s grandfather had been one of the sons in “Hemmings and Son’s Funeral Directors” but he had a falling out with his father about the suitability of the girl he planned to marry, he left and the two never spoke again.

 

Sharpington-by-Sea is a traditional seaside resort complete with a Victorian Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, The Palladium ballroom, well maintained gardens, promenade, theatre, and illuminations, all the usual things to have a great time by the seaside, as well as amusement arcades and of course the Sharpington Fun Park.

Which was the first purpose-built amusement park to open in Britain, which had an assortment of rides, like the Rotor and the Wild Mouse, The Cyclone and the Morehouse Galloper, all very tame compared to a 21st century roller coaster but was still great fun.

It was also a popular resort for retirees and boasted a number of static caravan parks.

 

Despite the fact that she was raised as a Christian by practising Christian parents who were always, and indeed still were very active in their church Sabr had never been a particularly spiritual person, though not an unchristian person.

She did however believe in a power greater than herself, and she was not uncomfortable in calling that power God.

The church however had always been a different matter and she had in fact always been quite dismissive about those interfering Christian do-gooders, doing good works and muttering on about their relationship with God.

She had never had a relationship with God other than the fact that she knew without a doubt that he existed.

But other than the mutual acceptance that the other did in fact exist they pretty much left it at that.

 

She had not been a regular visitor to His house since she was sixteen when she was given the option to follow her own path, her parents thought optimistically that she would choose to continue on the path they had led her along, but they were to be disappointed.

So, her interactions with the church were restricted to hatches, matches and dispatches and the odd Christmas carol service, that was of course until her mother was diagnosed with cancer.

 

She wasn’t sure what prompted her to attend St Lucy’s church again on that bitter cold day in February, it may have been to mourn her dear Grandmother who died the month before, and it might have been the despair she felt after her mother’s diagnosis or perhaps she just needed to reset her compass.

Whatever the reason was it reawakened something in her and every week after that she would find herself standing at the back of St Lucy’s yodelling out “how great thou art” or some other heart felt rendition.

 

The news of her redemption somehow reached her Aunty Claire’s ears, and she became a little less of a pariah.

Which was just as well because it was Aunty Claire who managed the Post Office side of the business and allowed her to run the shop. 

 

By the time May came around she was a regular attendee at St Lucy’s and divined great strength from her time there.

She had decided that she would put all of her energies into the shop and take all the burdens upon herself to allow her father to concentrate on looking after her mum.

Of course, she needed help in the shop and she had a small group of part timers she knew she could trust but she was always looking for fresh blood.

But most of the youngsters were drawn towards the bright lights of the arcades and the Fun Park so she had to put in longer and longer shifts herself when she was shorthanded, so she had little time for anything else.

So the last thing she needed was another distraction which on one day in the middle of May came in the form of Adam Jones.

Her eyes were drawn to him the moment he entered the shop, he was tall and slim with thick black curly hair just long enough to cover his collar, with brown eyes and a toothy smile which lit up the whole shop.

 

Adam was a couple of years older that Sabr and he was Detective Constable in Sharpington, and if shop keeping was the Hemmings family business, then for the Jones’s it was policing, his father was a Chief Superintendent in Abbottsford, his uncle was an Inspector in Northchapel and his brother was a Sgt in Mornington.

 

He was in the shop for about ten minutes, and she caught him sneaking a look in her direction a few times and when he eventually went to the counter with a basket full he said abruptly

“St Lucy’s”

“Excuse me?” Sabr said

“I’ve been trying to recall where I had seen you before” he explained

“It’s St Lucy’s”

“Yes, that’s right” she said realizing why he had kept looking at her.

“I’m Adam” he said “It’s a pleasure to meet a fellow congregant”

“Indeed” she agreed “I’m Sabr”

“Sabr, that’s a corker of a name” he said, and she smiled with pride

“Thank you” she said and went on to explain where it came from.

“Well, it’s a beautiful name” he said as he picked up his bags “I’ll see you Sunday perhaps”

“Perhaps” she agreed

“Goodbye”

 

He didn’t normally shop at Hemmings because he had a flat in Jubilee Court which gave him a view of Jubilee Park as well as a sea view, it was also situated at the opposite end of the seafront. 

He just happened to be on a call up at the Potters Lane caravan park so he decided to pop in as he was passing, he thought he would definitely shop there again though.

 

Sabr was a little flushed after her left, he had definitely been flirting with her and she rather enjoyed it, but then she chastised herself

“You don’t have time for that nonsense”

Nonetheless she looked for him at church on Sunday and was disappointed when she was unsuccessful.

 

After failing to locate Adam at St Lucy’s on the following Sunday and initially being dissapointed by the fact she decided that in the end that it was definitely for the best.

Of course she was unaware of the reason Adam had been conspicuous by his absence.

He had been seconded to Tipton where there had been a child abduction and they needed to draw extra resoursees from all over Downshire.

But Sabr wasn’t aware of that so as May drifted seemlessly into June she put him out of her mind.

 

The shop had been very busy and one of her regular staff was on holiday for two weeks, so she was really stretched, and she was feeling the pressure.

But then David Goodman walked in, and he always cheered her up, he was a retired teacher and he had taught Sabr so he knew her well.

He always flirted outrageously with her mum, and she would always flirt back.

They had known each other for years, when she was still Belinda Church and she had been a bridesmaid at his wedding.

But alas she was ill so there would be no flirting.

Instead, he enquired about Belinda and Sabr put on a brave face.

She got the impression he was about to say something when Gwen Quinton-Smith walked through the door.

She was a rather plain looking woman just the wrong side of 60, quite small and slim and choosing to dress in the twin set and tweed style.

She was very flustered, though she often was, so they waited until she eventually regained her composure and then David raised the question of full time or part time work for a girl called Wendy Corney with the two of them at the same time.

Gwen said that she would ask around the ladies at the Women’s Institute but in the meantime, she did have some odd jobs about the house that needed doing.

Sabr also promised to give Wendy a few hours in the shop while her mum was ill, and she could start the same day.

 

She wouldn’t under normal circumstances just employ anyone but if David Goodman thought she was ok then that was good enough for her because he was an exceptionally good judge of character and if the girl worked out, she would be a God send.

 

It was about forty minutes later when she looked out the window and could see David giving a skinny tomboy a pep talk and the girl with short mousy blonde hair which made her look like a shaggy dog hung on his every word.

She could make out what he was saying but she stood up straight and gave him a wonky smile in response.

Then she heard the girl say

“What if she doesn’t like me?”

Just before they walked into the shop

“Sabr! This is Wendy” he said

“Hello Wendy” Sabr said

“Hi” she replied trembling

“Don’t look so worried” Sabr said “I won’t bite”

 

She was very impressed with the girl, she was a hard worker and as keen as mustard and she was a quick learner.

At the end of her shift Sabr said

“You did well Wendy”

“Thanks” Wendy said “I enjoyed it”

“Good, Same time Thursday then”

 

As the weeks passed, she increased Wendy’s hours, so by the middle of July she was doing two full days a week and virtually every evening.

Which was the only good news for her, as her mum’s health was deteriorating, and she still hadn’t seen Adam again.

But because Wendy had learned so fast and was such a willing worker, she felt able to take a couple of hours off and go swimming.

She loved to swim but not in the sea, fortunately she was not alone in that preference and there was a wonderful pool in Sharpington which had a retractable roof, so it was an indoor pool when the weather was cold and a Lido when it wasn’t.

 

It was a very modern facility with modern unisex changing rooms with two long rows of cubicles flanked by lockers.

She didn’t altogether like the idea that when she was in a cubicle drying her bits there was some pervert in the next cubicle drying his, but she thought it was a small price to pay.

She had a lovely swim and was enjoying it so much she almost forgot the time.

So, she was in a cubicle getting dressed, with only her shorts left to put on and she could suddenly hear a familiar voice nearby and it was right outside her cubicle door.

“I’m ready this end” the voice said

It took a moment or two to get her shorts on and then she opened the door and found Adam was right there wearing a pair of black speedos and clutching a towel.

“Hello” she said, her eyes scanning every inch of his muscular body

“Oh Sabr” he said not quite knowing what to do

“I didn’t know you came here,” he said

“Yes, whenever I can” she replied still casting an appreciative eye over his well-toned figure.

She blushed when he noticed her looking, and trying to cover her embarrassment and failing she said

“I’d better get going”

“Don’t come out” he said forcefully, and she recoiled and then she could hear a commotion a little way away and then he pushed her gently back into the cubicle.

“What’s going on?” she asked with concern

But before he could answer she could hear naked feet running on the tiled floor and then Adam stepped back out the door and body checked a man into the opposite wall and then knock him down on to the floor.

“Stay still” he shouted “You’re under arrest”

He then proceeded to read him his rights while a uniformed officer handcuffed the man.

As two officers lifted the man to his feet Adam turned around and walked towards her and said

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be sharp with you, but I didn’t want you to get hurt”

“Erm well um” she babbled  

“Sit down” he suggested “you’re obviously shaken up”

“Who was that?” she asked when she had composed herself

“A very unpleasant man” he replied

“What did he do?”

“He is the man behind the Tipton child abduction” he said in a hushed tone

“Bastard” Sabr said

“Did he do things to the boy?” she asked dreading the answer

“No” he replied “his plan was to auction him to the highest bidder so that they could abuse him”  

“Is that why you haven’t been to church?” Sabr asked

“Yes, I was seconded to a task force to find the boy and those responsible” he said

“Adam!” someone called

“I have to go, are you alright now?”

“Yes, I’m fine” she replied “See you Sunday?”

“I hope so” he said and then he was gone

 

It was the morning of the first Saturday of July and furthermore the gods had delivered to the folk of Sharpington a very hot day, the hottest day of the year so far in fact.

Sabr didn’t appreciate that fact she was more concerned with her mum who had had a very bad night.

Thanks to Wendy she had plenty of cover in the shop, so she went for a walk along the promenade to clear her head.

She walked towards the attractions and then turned right and decided to take a stroll along the pier.

She stopped when she reached the end and stood at the rail and gazed out to sea.  

“Do you come here often?” David Goodman asked, and they both laughed.

“Who’s running the shop this morning if you’re here?” he asked her

“My Dad and Wendy” she said

“How is Wendy doing?”

“Very well, she’s a very hard worker; I have to force her to go home”

That was because she didn’t have much of a home to go to, but she was a hard worker.

“And your mum?”

“Not good I’m afraid” she replied sadly

“I’m sorry to hear that” David said, and she turned towards him and broke down and he held her and comforted her for the next ten minutes.

 

They sat down on the bench at the end of the pier, and she unburdened herself on him and David listened intently and when she had finished he simply said

“You don’t need me to tell you what to do, you already know”

Afterwards David walked her back to the shop, she thanked him and gave him a hug and then went back to work.

 

The next day Sabr was up bright and early and spent longer than usual in the bathroom and was among the first congregants to arrive at St Lucy’s which proved to be a mistake.

Because the moment she stopped moving she had time to think, and it was all negative.

When she first met Adam, she told herself

“You don’t have time for that nonsense”

But then after talking to David Goodman on the pier he convinced her that life was too short to not take the chances that life offered.

And she took all of that on board and decided she should throw caution to the wind which was why she got up early that morning and preened, perfumed, and powdered herself to make the best of herself so that she might seize the moment.

But sitting alone in the church her resolve was fast melting away.

“Hello Sabr” he said, “you look lovely”

“Oh, hello Adam” she replied a little flustered.

“You’re early” he said

“So are you” she pointed out

“I’m always here at this time” he said “when I’m not working”

“Oh, sorry”

“I’m glad” he said

“Excuse me?”

“I’m glad you’re early” Adam said, and she blushed terribly which made him smile.

“You’re not working today then” she said changing the subject.

“No” he said, “What about you?”

“I’m free all day” she said hopefully

“How about lunch then?”

“I’d like that” Sabr said

 

So, after the service Adam drove her to Dulcet-on-Brooke where they ate lunch at The Waterside Inn and they weren’t the only couple from Sharpington sharing an intimate meal together.

Sabr had taken a chance, exposed herself, risked rejection and got her reward and they spent a warm summer afternoon in the beer garden on the banks of the River Brooke.