Reuben’s second day at work consisted of hours of unrelenting labour in a cramped kitchen with little ventilation, and an overriding odour of stale cooking oil and boiled cabbage. An exact replica of the first day. The boiled cabbage odour was a mystery, considering no cabbage was cooked there. Perhaps the smell was ingrained in the walls from a previous era. Not surprisingly, there were no onions to be chopped. When Joe wasn’t around, Reuben opened the back door to take in a lungful of fresh air.
At three o’clock, he washed his hands and got ready to knock off. Joe appeared at his elbow.
‘Not so fast, boy, I want that bag of carrots and celery chopped before you go. Practice makes perfect.’
‘But I have an appointment at three-fifteen.’
He had an appointment with Lucy, but he wasn’t ab
