New Beginnings

As I sat on the damp peaty earth of the Peak District and surveyed my surroundings I took a deep lung full of air and closed my eyes, I couldn't believe that less than a year ago I was sat in a musky office six floors up in the urban Jungle that is Manchester. I had graduated university with a second class honours degree in business and I couldn't wait to be unleashed onto the world. The possibilities seemed endless and the bright city lights of Manchester had called me. My savings started to dwindle after three months of looking for a job, I had tried all the big companies but they all seemed to want the slim, gorgeous type who's mere presence had contracts signed, they weren't interested in my business plan, statistics and plans for future growth. As I trudged through the crowds of shoppers and commuters I noticed a company I hadn't tried yet nestled down a side street and slightly obscured from view. The faded and cracked sign which was situated above the entrance said that this building belonged to a publishers and the weathered lettering suggested that this company had been here a while. I gingerly pushed open the door and heard the vintage twinkle of an old door bell signaling my arrival at the same time as I breathed in a cloud of dust which my entrance had disturbed. A woman came towards me and told me they didnt usually use that door and that someone must have left it unlocked. she held out her hand as she surveyed my clothes and shook it briskley as she said "Martha" she then wiped the same hand on her trousers as I mumbled something that sounded like my name in answer "Florence". The room I had entered was full of books, hap-hazardly on shelves, a few I noticed had collapsed and were balanced precariously on the one below it. I found my voice as Martha led me through the building and asked how long the publishers had been there. "Singer's has been here about one hundred and fifty years" she told me, "I used to work here as a girl running errands for me mam who was an editor, it was rare in them days for a woman to be an editor" I nodded but didnt say anything Martha was leading me through what seemed like a dark and very narrow corridor, when I looked to the side I could make out even more shelves with books. Soon Martha had brought me to the front of the building, which I was pleased to see looked a little bit more modern and light, I now had the chance to tell Martha why I was in the building. To my surprise before I could say anything she said "So your here for the secretary job interview? Did you email your CV?" I stuttered a reply "er, no, I er actually erm just popped by on the off chance you had a job vacancy I've tried a few, well actually quite alot of places in the city but I'd never noticed this building before" Martha looked down her nose at me over her glasses then looked me over again, she took her glasses off, wiped some of the dust off them and placed them on top of her head. "Do you have a CV?" she asked, I rummage through my bag hoping that I had a copy left after the mass canvassing I had undertaken on week two of my job hunt. I smoothed out the creases and handed my CV to her, She replaced her glasses and read the first few lines, she kept glancing at me as she did so ad though she couldn't believe that I was the same person that she was reading about on the page. Martha nodded and led me through to a light airy waiting room, I seemed to pass her scrutiny as she offered my a drink and informed me that she would let Mr Singer know I had arrived.