Sandy was glad when class had ended for the day. Immediately after a short goodbye to the members of her gossip group, she hurried into the bicycle shed for her transport home.
The weather outside was still depressingly cloudy and cold though the sky had stopped weeping. Sandy hoped she would make it home before the rain started again. It had been going on and off the whole day. She did not care for the awkwardness of riding with a raincoat on.
Sandy strapped her schoolbag and folded raincoat in the basket in the back of her bicycle. As she unlocked the chain around her bicycle, she spotted Annie at the entrance, looking in her direction. After that frosty standoff at lunch, Sandy was not sure that she wanted to go near the little girl.
But Annie did not ride a bicycle. She had no reason be there. Unless, she sought something else. Could she be looking for Sandy? If so, what could it be about? Another job? Money?
The thought of money made Sandy excited. She quickly locked up her bike again. She left her bag and hurried after the little girl.
Annie turned away as Sandy approached. Sandy realized that the little girl was leading her somewhere, so she trailed behind at about twenty paces. The little girl led her into the school auditorium.
The auditorium was deserted. It was dim with little sunlight coming in through the narrow windows at the tops of the walls. The light was more than enough for Sandy to see the rows and rows of padded red seats. She spotted Annie going behind the stage.
Sandy followed the little girl into the dressing room behind the stage. It was even darker there since there were no windows. The room was lit only by the bulbs around the mirror of the dressing table that Annie sat at. The fluorescent tubes attached to the ceiling above had not been turned on.
There were other dressing tables and stools arranged against the walls. Further to the back, in the shadows, were cupboards with cardboard boxes on them. There were more boxes stacked beside one of the cupboards.
Annie was inspecting her image in the mirror. Her schoolbag sat on the floor and her pink handbag was on the table.
"It's quiet here," Annie said, "Nobody uses this place on Mondays. This is a good place to discuss business."
Sandy stood close to Annie. The word 'business' had her attention. Hopefully it would involve her getting money.
"I've something for you to do," Annie announced.
Sandy listened. The excitement within her heart grew.
Annie took out her purse from her pink handbag. She pulled out a folded piece of paper money from the purse. "At lunch time, I want you to buy a drink for yourself, something in a large cup, not a can or a drink in a carton." She extended the note towards Sandy.
"Okay," Sandy agreed as she gingerly accepted the note.
"Once you've done that," Annie continued, "don't drink from it yet... when you see me, hurry across the cafeteria in my direction and past me. Then do whatever you want with the drink."
"That's it?" Sandy asked as she unfolded the note.
Annie shook her head slowly. "No. Do it everyday until it happens."
"It?"
"You'll know when 'it' happens," Annie replied mysteriously.
Sandy examined the note in her hand. It was more than enough to buy drinks for herself for the rest of the week. Then she refolded and pocketed the money.
Annie leaned close. "Once 'it' happens, you can stop buying drinks. You can keep the rest of the money as payment."
"Okay," Sandy agreed. "That's it?"
Annie nodded. "Any questions?"
"I'm still not sure about the 'it'," Sandy said. She brushed her left forefinger with her other thumb.
"Don't worry. You will know." Annie seemed certain of it.
Sandy hoped that she would not mess things up by missing 'it'. She really wanted to please the little girl and receive more jobs. And more money.
"Okay, then," Annie concluded as she rose to her feet. She picked up her bags and switched off the lights of the dressing table. Then she followed Sandy out the building.
Sandy parted ways with Annie and returned to her bicycle.
Things were going her way. She had received a new job. And she had been paid in advance. She was slowly gathering her wealth. She was going to be rich someday!
Not even the fact that it started drizzling again could dampen her mood.
***
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