WEEKLY SOAP Riverside by Glenda Young

What will Jenny do now she has been sacked?

JENNY, are you all right, love?” Mary asked. “You look a bit shaken.” Jenny shook her head.

“I’ve been sacked,” she said softly, not believing her own words. “I’ve never been sacked from a job before in my whole life. It’s come as a bit of a shock.”

“Here,” Mary said, moving along the leather seat of the booth. “Come and sit with us.”

Mary caught Dave’s eye across the deli and beckoned him over to their table.

“Three coffees, Dave, please,” Mary said.

“Thanks, Mary,” Jenny replied as she glanced between Mary and Ruby. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I didn’t know where else to go. Eric’s at work and I couldn’t face going back to an empty flat.

“Anna has told me she can’t afford to keep me on now Carol is back from Tenerife.”

“And they’ve sacked you, just like that?” Ruby said, shocked, as Dave returned with their drinks. Jenny sighed.

“I should have seen it coming. I knew the bank balance wasn’t looking very good, but I didn’t expect . . .”

“Something else will turn up soon,” Ruby said as cheerfully as she could, but Jenny shook her head.

“I wish I had your optimism, Ruby,” she replied. “I have no idea what I’m going to do next.”

“What about going back to the type of work you used to do before you moved here?” Mary asked.

Ruby nodded encouragingly.

“Lots of small businesses could do with help with their books,” she said.

“And there’s the college,” Mary continued. “And the community centre. Both of them run courses for adults.

“You can learn all kinds of things now and upgrade your skills if you need to.”

“Oh! That reminds me!” Ruby added. “I was thinking of ringing the community centre to see if there’s anyone who could teach me to get the most out of my new tablet.”

Jenny took a sip of her drink.

“I need to give it some thought,” she said quietly. “I think I’m still in shock. I feel like I need some fresh air to clear my head.”

Ruby glanced at her watch.

“The number fifty-six bus to the beach is due in ten minutes. You could do a lot worse than a walk on the sands. Sea air does wonders to clear the cobwebs. I know it always works for me.”

“Thanks, Ruby.” Jenny smiled. “That sounds like a good idea. I might treat myself to an ice-cream while I’m down there.”

Jenny stood to leave, but before she put on her coat she delved into her handbag to find her purse. Mary shook her head.

“Don’t you worry about paying,” she told Jenny. “This one’s on me.”

“Thanks, Mary,” Jenny replied gratefully, then turned to Ruby. “The number fifty-six, you say?”

“It stops outside the Old Engine Room on the other side of the road,” Ruby told her.

Ruby and Mary watched as Jenny headed out of the deli. They saw Dave call out his goodbye to Jenny as she passed, but she appeared not to hear him.

Head bent, Jenny walked out through the doors.

Inside the café, Mary drained her coffee cup.

“I think I’ll go home, Ruby. I’m feeling a bit done in.”

“I hope everything turns out all right, Mary,” Ruby told her friend. “You know, with the blood test results.”

“Thanks, love,” Mary said as she slid across the leather seat of the booth. “I’ll text you next week to let you know if I feel up to going to the yoga class.”

“OK,” Ruby replied, waving her friend goodbye. “Give my love to George.”

Once Mary had left the café, Ruby turned her attention back to her new tablet and the task in hand.

She opened up a web browser and as the cursor blinked on the screen, Ruby squared her shoulders and sat up straight in her seat.

“You can do this,” she told herself.

Her fingers made contact with the keypad, and in front of her appeared the dating website that Brenda from the yoga class had recommended she try.

Ruby entered her age and postcode into the website. Then she entered her interests: reading, good food, honesty and friendship.

She also entered the things she didn’t like: baking, cooking and football.

Once her details were entered, up on her screen came profiles of men her own age . . .

When Mary arrived home, she was relieved to find the house empty. She didn’t have the energy to take off her coat, so she simply sank straight down on to the sofa.

Mary closed her eyes and gave in to the tiredness that had threatened to overwhelm her all day.

That was how George found her when he returned home that afternoon from working at the greenhouse.

“Mary?” he said, puzzled when he saw his wife lying on the sofa still wearing her coat.

When she didn’t reply, he ran to her side.

“Mary!” he cried again, alarmed now. “Mary! Wake up!”

But there was no response.