H-Freezing in Kew Gardens Part 2

Chapter Two- Cyril's Job

Eventually Cyril reached the front of the queue. To his relief he
was
granted emergency relief. A giro to cash at the local Post Office.
But
he also directed to the Job Centre.

Soon he felt better. After a meal at an Italian Restaurant he was
being
interviewed.

Salesmen were not in demand, but there was a vacancy for a Museum
a
Attendant. Training and Uniform would be supplied. Cyril jumped at
the
chance. The work sounded boring, but quite frankly, at the present
time,
he did not want too much to think about.

The next day he was being interviewed and introduced to the rest of
the
staff, Tommy and Jack and Sean. To his surprise he was asked to
start
next Monday. Apparently his salesman's experience was regarded as
helpful, in that he would have to communicate well with the
public.

Next week he had found a bed-sitting room near the museum. Often
he
would be required to work six days per week. The museum was open
every
day except for Monday. He started off very quietly doing as he was
told
and spending time at the back of each room in the museum especially
when
a class of children were present. There were no incidents the
first
week.

But on the following Monday something unusual happened. An elderly
lady
stepped over the low barrier into an Elizabethan room and started
playing the spinet. No attendant was preset. There were few visitors
and
Cyril was alone in a room at the other end of the museum. But he
heard
the instrument, loud and clear.

He had never heard a spinet before He wondered what on earth was
happened and walked along the corridor and confronted the
miscreant.
"I am 75 , she said, "I always wanted the chance to practise my
music."

"But you can't do that here. It is an offence. By rights I should
call
the police."

"Please excuse me, said Ellen. "I am lonely. I have never done
this
before."

So Cyril decided not to report the incident but he kept an eye on
the
lady next time she visited the museum . She came regularly once a
week
on Tuesday mornings.