Lauren was never quite sure what she wanted to do with her life. But she knew one thing for certain, her days working at a supermarket were over. She was just sick of it, the long hours, the rude customers and the back stabbing co-workers. The coronavirus was the final nail in the coffin. It just wasn’t a job worth dying for and the weeks of stress had taken its toll.

Her mother was not impressed.

“What are you going to do now? And you with no education.”

But Laura didn’t care. After all, she was in her mid-thirties now, old enough to make her own decisions. There would be no change of heart.

The lack of education was something of a problem though. She had regretted leaving school early for quite some time, but there was little she could do about it now.

She had a plan, check the local papers each day and a few key websites. She was sure she would find something although she knew it might take some time.

But the days, then weeks passed. This really wasn’t the kind of economy to be looking for a job in. No jobs were advertised most days. Eventually though, she saw something that piqued her interest.

Personal Assistant required for weekend word for physically disabled man. No prior experience necessary. Please contact…

It wouldn’t have been the kind of job that she had thought about doing previously but she might as well look into it. After all, she had nothing to lose. Later that day she rang the contact number, trying to make sure to sound enthusiastic on the phone.

“Hello! I’m ringing about the job advertisement in the papers.”

An aged voice spoke back to her.

“Oh yes, it’s for my son you see. He needs assistance on Saturdays/Sundays. It would be private work for a number of hours each day. Ten euro per hour. If you are interested we’re looking for someone to start straight away.”

Laura was caught off guard and unsure what to say next.

“Yes, I can start straight away.”

There was a palpable sense of relief coming from the other side of the phone.

“Good! You can start this Saturday afternoon.”

He then gave her a complex set of directions, which she hastily tried to write down on a small piece of paper. Then, before she knew it it, he put down the phone.

For the next few days, she wondered if she was doing the right thing but in the end she decided that she might as well give it a try. Before she knew it Saturday had arrived and she was trying to follow the haphazard directions. The house was in a very rural location. The greenery made a nice change for Lauren, but she wished that there were people around to seek directions from. Eventually, she was pretty sure that she had located the correct house and she tried to steady her nerves as she parked in front of what was a large, imposing house. It had a beautiful, wooded area toward the front and Lauren found herself wondering what the back was like.

She had just managed to put on her mask, when an old man, probably in his seventies gingerly walked towards her car.

“This must be Lauren,” he said with a wide smile as she got out of the car.

In truth, she could barely get a word in as he showed her in through the front door.

****

James hadn’t expected to feel so down but he was. Martha had been one of the rocks that he had come to depend on. For five years, she had been by his side. Like clockwork, she had shown up each day and helped him with the little things. Ever since that faithful day, he had finally managed to make it home. But now she was gone to what he had to admit was a well deserved retirement.

Now, he had to get used to “new people” as his father called it.

There would be a new carer coming Saturday, he wasn’t to worry. All James knew was that it was another woman. Probably another old woman, he thought to himself.

Saturday arrived and if he hadn’t already known, he would have by his excited father. Talkative at the best of times, he had notched it up a gear. The poor woman better like to chat, he thought to himself as he heard the sound of a car pulling up.