by Ron Thomas
‘Improving, Freddie. Benito’s better every day. Starting to give cheek.’
‘When will we see him down here? We’ve got a little welcome back party planned.’
‘Not for a while yet. Therese won’t let him out of sight until he gets a doctor’s clearance. Even then, he might have trouble getting away.’
‘Well, make sure you let us know beforehand. What can I get you?’
‘A couple of crates of those mandarins. Four of delicious apples. Got any strawberries?’
Fred shook his head, ‘It’s the end of the season. Lou has some,’ he said. ‘What about cabbages?’
‘Not on my list. Fed’s getting them. No doubt he’ll be by with the truck soon. I wanted to talk to you about him before he comes.’
‘About Fed, you mean?’
‘Yes. He’s talking about not going back to university.’
‘What, just giving it up? I thought he was doing well. Benny was always bragging about how well he was doing.’
‘Yes. That’s not the problem. See, I’m too young to drive the truck, and Federico’s hell bent on staying to help get the shop going again. Benito thinks if he gives up now, he won’t go back.’
Fred Loughlin stepped back. ‘Lou,’ he called out. Lou Ricco, busily stacking oranges, looked up and Fred beckoned him over.
‘Hello, Meggsie. Why are you wasting time? Come over where the fruit’s fresher. We’re better looking too,’ he said. ‘How’s Benny?’ he added, as Fred interrupted.
‘I didn’t call you over so you could throw shit at me, you idiot. Benny’s better, but it will still be a while. Now, Federico’s thinking of giving up uni so he can drive the truck. Meggsie’s too young.’
‘Is that so?’ Lou said, pondering for a moment, then turned to Meggsie.
‘Can’t you drive?’ he asked. ‘I seem to recall Benny saying he was teaching you.’
Meggsie grinned and cast surreptitious glances over his shoulder. ‘Not legally,’ he said. ‘He was letting me drive the last mile back to the shop if there wasn’t much traffic.’
‘Oh,’ Lou replied. ‘Couldn’t we deliver the stuff to the shop? How long before you can get your licence? Can’t be that long.’
‘I think it’s more than a year,’ Meggsie said, ‘but we’re applying for special dispensation. Then it would be five months.’
‘That long, eh? Well, mate, we’ll just have to deliver until then,’ Lou declared. ‘Benny would do that for us if we needed it.’
‘I reckon we can work something out, Meggsie,’ Fred added. ‘You would have to give us a list each day and we drop it off next morning. Something like that, anyway. We can take turns.’
‘That way you get good stuff every second day and Fred’s shit the days between,’ Lou suggested cheekily. Fred tried to punch him on the arm, but Lou stepped deftly away.
‘And Federico can finish his degree. Then I’ll have a tame lawyer when I kill this mad bastard,’ Fred said, then finally reached over and managed to get a punch on Lou’s upper arm.
‘Bloody assault! You saw it,’ Lou complained.
‘I saw nothing. I’m from Darlo, remember? We never see anything,’ Meggsie replied.
‘Here comes Fed,’ Fred said.
‘Don’t say anything at the moment. He needs to get used to things slowly. Thanks. I’m sure Benito will appreciate it. It’s about a week before Fed has to go.’
‘Hey Lou,’ a man called from Lou’s stand. ‘You going to do any work today?’
‘I’m the boss, remember! You want to get paid this week?’ Lou shouted back.
‘How’s Benny doing, Meggsie?’
‘Bit better every day, Dick.’
‘Tell him I asked after him, mate.’
‘I’ll do that.’
‘Don’t bother sending Lou back over. He wasn’t helping much anyway,’ Dick shouted back.
‘You might be lucky to see out the shift,’ Lou yelled back waving his fist. ‘Don’t make me cranky,’ but he waved and strolled away.
‘I’d better have about five boxes of bananas, Fred,’ Meggsie said with a grin. ‘They’re selling well.’
***
Meggsie was aware that Federico must have known he had talked to his friends about the problem, but he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to find out about the outcome. They were in Liverpool Street before either of them spoke.
‘I’m sorry I was a bit short before, Gil,’ Federico said, without taking his eyes off the road. ‘You were right. We started this together and it’s been a great experience. I just don’t want to up and leave you in the lurch.’
‘I know how you feel. I don’t really want you to go either, but it’s for the best,’ Meggsie replied. Federico glanced across at him and their eyes met.
‘Are you sure you’re only fifteen?’ Federico asked, with laughter playing on his lips. At that moment, they somehow both knew it would be all right.
‘Don’t worry mate. I can handle it!’ Meggsie said. ‘Fred and Lou said they’ll deliver to us until I can drive. That’s one problem solved at least. I’ll take care of Benny’s, you take care of your degree. It’s important to your dad.’
‘We’ll see,’ Federico said. ‘Let’s talk it over with Yosef.’
***
There was no music playing. Instead, Yosef had a lump of chalk in his hand and a mouthful of pins when they arrived. He was fitting a man’s suit and he could do nothing else but nod to them. The man nodded, but Yosef indicated that he must look straight ahead, and remain standing with his arms outstretched. With nothing else to do, they sat on the convenient, but rather uncomfortable straight-backed chairs, just inside the doorway and watched. Yosef worked quickly and without hesitation, pinning, chalking, pushing, pulling, and occasionally sewing a stitch here or there. Finally, he stood back and admired his work, and after a moment, nodded appreciatively to his customer.
“That’s it for now. It will be ready next Tuesday,’ he said, helping the man shed the half-finished garment. The man thanked him and left as Yosef turned to them.
‘How goes the business?’ he asked.
‘Pretty good,’ Federico replied.
‘I went to see your father today. He’s much better, isn’t he?’
‘Yes.’
‘He tells me you are thinking of dropping out of your law course.’
‘Yes. Just thinking at this stage.’
‘Get us a cup of tea, please Federico. I want to talk to Gilbert for a few minutes,’ Yosef said. Federico glanced from Yosef to Meggsie and back again, then slowly got to his feet.
‘I’ll have it black,’ Yosef said. Federico nodded and walked off to the kitchen.
‘Benito told me you think you can run Benny’s. How old are you, fifteen?’ Yosef asked.
‘Sixteen next month.’
‘There aren’t many sixteen-year-olds running businesses. You’re going to need help. Do you realise that Benny and Therese rely on the shop? It’s their only source of income and I know their savings have been disappearing since the fire. Benito’s had very expensive medical bills. It’s not a game, Gilbert.’
‘Benito wants Fed to be a lawyer, not a fruit and veg man. That’s what I want, too. I won’t let him down,’ Meggsie replied earnestly.
‘I know you well enough to know you will try, Gilbert. That’s not something I’ll worry about. It’s the support.’
‘I’ve got support,’ Meggsie replied, ready for an argument.
‘Better tell me what you’ve got in mind,’ Yosef replied firmly, clearly intent on establishing his authority. For the next five minutes, Meggsie talked about his plan, but he was mostly making it up as he went along. He’d almost run out of things to say when Federico arrived, carrying a tray of rattling teacups. Despite his avowed determination to run the shop and send Federico to take care of his own business, Meggsie was mightily pleased he was back.
‘Sorry to take so long,’ Federico said, as he took the cups one at a time and passed them out, spilling te
a in Meggsie’s saucer. Meggsie suspected that Federico had taken much more time than he needed.
‘I was asking Gilbert how he would go about running Benny’s without you,’ Yosef said calmly. Federico raised his eyebrows. He’d by no means accepted that Meggsie would indeed be running shop by himself. By now, both of them had realised that Yosef clearly believed he had some sort of authority, but they didn’t understand its limits. Yosef glanced first at Federico and then at Meggsie, as he shovelled three teaspoons of sugar into his cup and spent much longer than necessary stirring it. He turned to Federico.
‘Your father wants you to complete your degree, young man. He knows that it’s best for you and the family in the long run. I think it’s better you get used to that. We only have a week to do whatever is necessary to ensure that Benny’s survives and that Gilbert can handle things until Benito gets back on the job, which might be a month, or it might be six. You need to help us make the most of it.’
Meggsie watched Federico carefully. As Yosef spoke, he expected Fed to react badly. Federico seemed to be wracked with indecision. He looked down at his feet for a few moments, then looked up into Yosef’s eyes.
‘All right,’ he replied quietly.
‘Good man,’ Yosef replied. Suddenly his hand shot out and almost instinctively, Federico took it. Their eyes met as the two men held their handshake. Federico seemed both disappointed and relieved.
‘Now, Gilbert. Tell us what you’ve got in mind again. Focus on the really important thing. The show-stoppers,’ Yosef said, sitting back. He blew across his teacup and took a long, noisy slurp. Meggsie suddenly felt unprepared and vulnerable, knowing his previous rambling recital hadn’t impressed. He bought himself some time by sugaring his own tea.
‘As I see it, there are five main problems,’ he began. ‘Getting the produce without a driver, staffing, rebuilding while we continue to trade, accounting for the money and the insurance.’
‘Tell us about them,’ Yosef said, nodding.
‘The first problem is how to get the produce here each morning. I can’t drive, but two of Benito’s friends at the markets have agreed to deliver each day until we can make other arrangements.’
‘Are they reliable?’ Yosef asked.
‘Very.’
‘Then I’d like to meet them. What time do you leave for the markets?’
‘Five-thirty.’
‘I’ll be here,’ Yosef replied, raising his eyebrows. ‘I’ve already been doing a little bit of work on this issue. It might be possible for you to get a special licence a year ahead of time, given the circumstances. That means you could have it in five months’ time. My friend David Elazar knows all about this. He has a legal practice on Castlereagh Street. David will explain it to you when the time comes. First things first. What’s next?’
‘Staff. Benito and I were pretty much flat out before the fire. We had help coming in odd hours. He intended to put on a third person permanently, but he hadn’t found anyone suitable. Of course, we didn’t have to pack all the produce away each night and get it out in the morning then. Since the fire, Federico and I have been working long hours. Neither of us think that can go on forever.’
‘So,’ Yosef replied. ‘There are two issues there. You need at least two more staff members. At least one should be capable of running the shop without you, so you can have a break. Then there’s the issue of turning it into a proper shop that can be secured, so there’s less need for fruit-humping. Is that a fair summary?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’d suggest that we leave the staffing issue until after we visit the markets tomorrow. Now, I’ve got some news of my own. I’ve had my legal friend pursuing the insurance claim. With great reluctance, they’ve verbally agreed to pay out. That means we have to work out how we have a new shop built while Benny’s continues to trade. That won’t be easy, but another friend of mine, Alfie Cutler, is a builder and I’m sure he’ll help us sort that one out. My accountant will tell us how to set up the money side of things. That way you can concentrate on business.’
Federico and Meggsie looked at each other, exhilarated. The value of Yosef’s intervention, not really welcomed a few days earlier, was evident now, and they were beginning to realise that they would probably have failed without it.
‘I’ve had some help from mates,’ Yosef continued. ‘There are two people you need to thank. The insurance company was refusing to pay, as late as yesterday morning. I suggested to David Elazar that he take another friend of mine along to their meeting. His name is Darby Maddocks. David tells me it made the difference. I think you should go and meet them both, and thank them.’
‘Is Mr Maddocks a reporter? I think I might know him,’ Meggsie said. ‘I think Moe Zeller introduced him to me. That was some time ago.’
‘Well, Gilbert, Mr Maddocks is indeed a reporter, but he’s also a close friend. You owe him a debt of gratitude. Mister Elazar informs me that without Darby Maddocks, the claim wouldn’t have succeeded. I’ve made a tentative appointment for you both with Mr Elazar next Tuesday at eleven. He says Mr Maddocks might want to be there, and they’ll shout lunch, but I’ll give you Mr Maddocks’ number just in case.’
‘I already have it,’ Meggsie replied. ‘He works for The Truth newspaper. I’ll phone him if he’s not at the meeting.’
‘You do that. So, I’ll continue to pursue the claim with Mr Elazar, and talk to Alfie Cutler about the rebuilding work. He’ll come and see you at Benny’s before Federico leaves. Now, what time did you say I have to meet you in the morning again?’
‘Five-thirty,’ Meggsie replied.
‘That’s what I thought you said,’ Yosef said ruefully.
‘We can pick you up here, if you like.’
‘I’ll be ready,’ Yosef said, nodding. ‘Are you sure it’s five-thirty?’
‘Yes. And that’s later than we usually leave. If you want to be a fruit and veg man, early is best.’
‘In that case, I can’t wait to get back to tailoring. At least it keeps decent hours!’ Meggsie saw that Yosef’s eyes were twinkling, enjoying the banter.
***
It was unseasonably cold. Their breath condensed in little vapour clouds in the chill air as they prepared to leave. There was a coating of ice on Old Thorny’s windscreen to be scraped off and the old girl was very reluctant to start. Once they were under way, every now and again, Meggsie was forced to wipe the condensation off the inside of the windscreen.
‘Do you think he’ll be waiting?’ Federico asked as they approached Darlinghurst Road. ‘He might still be tucked up in bed like the sensible people.’
‘What do we do if he’s not there?’ Meggsie responded. ‘Do we wait?’
‘He’ll be there,’ Federico declared.
‘I wonder what he’ll make of Fred and Lou?’ Meggsie said.
‘Or what they’ll make of him,’ Federico raised his eyebrows as he spoke. ‘Give the screen another wipe. It’s fogging again.’
The figure outside the emporium seemed thoroughly miserable as they approached. Yosef was wearing a thick black coat and the collar was pulled up until it touched the brim of the black hat he had firmly pulled down to his ears. They could see very little of his face, but the clouds of vapour from his breathing were very apparent.
Yosef said nothing as the Thornycroft drew up beside him and Meggsie pushed the door open. Meggsie jumped out and signalled for him to climb aboard.
‘It’s warmer in the middle,’ he explained.
The cab wasn’t designed for three. They were very cramped, and Yosef had the handbrake and gear lever between his legs, making each gear change a gymnastic exercise. Though they had the celluloid side-windshields fitted, it was still chilly in the cabin, and the wind penetrated every small gap.
Federico drove into the Haymarket and pulled the Thornycroft to a stop beside Fred Loughlin’s stall. Fred was in shirtsleeves and his ever-present leather apron. As they climbed out of the cabin, Fred immediately took note of Yosef�
�s presence and his winter attire.
‘Morning boys,’ he said cheerily, wiping his hands on his leather apron. ‘Brisk morning. Who’s this? He’s well rugged up! Can’t be much left in his ward-robe. I wonder what he wears in winter?’
‘Morning Fred,’ Meggsie replied. ‘This is Yosef Abrahams. He’s a friend of Benito’s. He wanted to meet you and Lou.’
Fred’s hand shot out immediately, as he sensed that Yosef was in some way important.
‘Morning, Mr Abrahams,’ he said. ‘Any friend of Benny’s is a friend of us market blokes.’ He turned away briefly and beckoned to Lou Ricci.
‘Hey Lou, this chap’s a friend of Benny’s,’ he called.
Lou waved back and immediately came to them. ‘G’day, mate. I’m Lou Ricci and I got the best fruit in this here market,’ he said cheerfully, rubbing his hands together to keep circulation going. ‘How’s Benny?’
‘Benny’s getting better. He sends his regards.’
‘Do you think we could visit him?’
‘I’m sure he’d like that. He’s asked me to keep an eye on things and to help Gilbert until he can come back.’
‘Oh,’ Fred said.
‘Yes, Federico is going back to finish his degree and Gilbert is going to be in charge of Benny’s. It’s going to be rebuilt, you see. He’ll have his hands full for the next few months.’
‘Yes. Lou and I are arranging for delivery until Benny’s back on his feet,’ Fred interjected. ‘That’s all set.’
‘So Gilbert tells me. He’s got a staffing problem. There’s just him once Federico goes. He needs staff.’
‘That’s easily fixed,’ Lou replied. He climbed onto the tray of the Thornycroft and shouted, his foghorn voice ringing across the booths.
‘Anyone want some extra shifts at Benny’s?’ he shouted. ‘Working for Meggsie?’
‘Me,’ a voice answered immediately.
‘Me too,’ another answered. ‘The more the better.’
‘I’ll work there instead of here!’ Dick shouted from Lou’s stand.
‘Go, you ungrateful bastard! Go! You’ll come crawling back in no time!’ Lou yelled back, feigning anger.
