Just managed to burn a pizza. D'oh! It was a homemade on too, well homemade in as much as I bought gluten free pizza bases and put the topping on myself. (Pancetta and tomato, as well as mozzarella and tomato paste and a wee bit of herbs.) The crust is burnt to a crisp but the middle is still edible. Idiot that I am I turned the oven all the way up without realising. I've eaten half of it
I bought some anti acid tablets this afternoon, hopefully that will settle my stomach. I now find myself enduring a bout of thrush too, which is a dry, tight, itchy joy. Bizarrely, the medication I take as a migraine preventative has a weird side effect of causing thrush. It's written on the patient's information leaflet so I'm not making this up. What my poor bumhole goes through.
*
Ray and I went for a walk. It was all we really had money for. We were both looking for work. He had been left school since just before he turned sixteen and had done manual labouring jobs whilst trying to get signed with a football club. He was very determined, but his lack of education bothered me. He was bright enough, he just lacked interest in school. I was never given a choice. It never occurred to me you could do anything but work hard in school. My parents told me from the get go school was the most important thing in life and if I ever fell behind or got back marks in any subject I would not be doing any ballet or gymnastics until my grades were acceptable. They meant it too.
It was a beautiful day. We walked round a scenic part of town. Fields and trees and a golf course. The river Lee in the distance. We held hands and could hear the ting of golfers hitting the balls. We both agreed golf was pointless and a game for middle aged men who didn't know how to dress.
It was such a thrill to be with him. He slid his hand into mine like it was no big deal and I nearly peed my pants. I played it totally cool. I was so worried my hands would get sweaty.
The warmth from his body pulsed like gold. To be so close to another person who isn't a family member was thrilling. The air between is was vibrating, I was vibrating. I had no idea what he was feeling. There was no way I was capable of making another human being feel what he was making me feel. I never wanted this feeling to end. I was ravenous for it.
We smiled and laughed at people with misbehaving dogs, people with burgeoning sunburns, lads throwing a frisbee. We felt a part of everything happening around us, but totally in our own world. We were two teenagers falling in love.
I could see a restaurant and what looked like the golf club house. As we got closer to the golf club I noticed a Help Wanted sign in the window. I pointed it out to Ray. 'We should go in,' I said.
The golf club was a smart victorian house with a dubious extension on the back in which I could see a bar and couple of snooker tables. We went inside and a dowdy red face woman in her late forties greeted us. She looked busy and harrassed and didn't need any of our shit.
'What can I do for ye?' she asked.
'Hi, my name's Khalilah and I saw you have a help wanted sign on the window.' I was trying to make a good impression. Ray hovered behind me. 'I'm here for the summer until I start university and I'm looking for work. I..'
'Oh that's grand, love. When can you start?' she said.
'Eh, what?' I asked, perplexed.
'Look lovey, I'm a busy woman and you're a pretty thing, the customers will love ye. You said you're about to start university so you've obviously got your wits about you. You had the gumption to come in here and ask for a job,' she stated.
'Oh wow, great, thank you,' I said, a bit flustered by her directness. 'When do I start?'
'Right now if you can,' she said, taking an apron off a hook and tossing it towards me. 'We've got a busload of tourists coming in and we're going to be mad busy later. I prefer my staff to wear black but you'll do for the day.' She craned her neck to look round me at Ray. 'As for your young fella there, I'm afraid my customers like the pretty young ladies serving them their dinner. It's revolting as hell but that's the way the world is I'm afraid, my lad.'
Ray shrugged. 'Don't worry about it. I'm not sure I'm cut out for waitressing.'
'Alright then,' she said. She looked back at me. 'Right then Miss Khalilah, let's show you the ropes before the hordes descend,' and she headed back into the dining room.
I turned to Ray and grimaced. We had been on a lovely afternoon date. 'I'm sorry!' I said, taking his hands in mine. 'I had no idea I'd have to start right now.'
'No, don't be daft,' he reassured me, ' this is brilliant. You just walked in and got a job like that.'
'I know!' I grinned. 'Granddad will be pleased to get me out from under her feet.'
'Chop chop!!' the woman shouted from within the golf club kitchen.
'Ok, gotta go,' I told Ray and we quickly kissed each other goodbye. He turned and disappeared out the door and I headed into the golf club to my new job.