Thirteen Letters, Chapter Seven.

My name is MJG or Maxine Jasmin-Green, I have a lot of ideas in my head, and I know just how I want things to be. In my life I am not a leader, I’m a loyal follower, providing the person is worthy of my respect, if they are not worthy of my respect then, if they are my manager, at work then I have no choice, but to do as I am told. Usually, I have had good managers and other types of leaders.

In my work life, I have come up with good ideas, that has changed the whole company and I have been a trailblazer, making peoples lives better, and mine even though I am painfully shy. Writing is like a release for me, be it here or in my daily diary.

When Paul is standing next to the chef, I will be standing the other side of him, but I will never speak, for that is the only time we are together on the stage in front of the live studio audience, where tickets are a pound each, and all the proceeds from those tickets, go to the charity of the choice of one of the people in Paul’s Team, of friends. Each trimonthly they take it in turn to choose a charity of their choice, and when all eleven has done so, then the eleven on my Team, they then take it in turn.

When Paul and I are on stage, be it ‘singing’ or watching/helping the chef cook, I will be wearing a massive curly wig. This will be real hair, it will have been made for me, from three different women, and each woman will be paid £100,000 as a one of payment, thus getting them out of debt and getting them back on their feet. They will be chosen carefully.   

Paul forgot to mention, he is never allowed to sing outside the home. I will explain why later on.

There will also be a very controversial chapter, all I ask, it that you just read it to the end.

I am dyslexic, so I find English and maths difficult, decades ago, when people had only dictionaries, most of the time, I couldn’t find the word in there, as I didn’t know how to spell it, I usually got the first, second or third letter wrong. Then when I got married, I used my Husband instead, I would say, “How do you spell….” Now I can just speak the word into my watch or mobile.

I remember I confided to my manager at work that, “I am dyslexic,” For most people didn’t know, because it was taking me ages to do a task that I had been asked to do, and I knew why, so in confidence I told my manager, who replied, “Have you got a doctor’s official note to back this up?” I replied, “No,” Then I realized my goose is cooked, I didn’t have a leg to stand on, and it made me afraid. But over the years, I was able to win this manager over, with my laughter and my honesty. For sometimes, actions speak louder than words. People are watching you, and they make a mental note.

I remember about a month before she was sent home to protect her from covid, by head office due to her ill health, she had said to me, in front of her deputy, “I have noticed, that when you are at work in the office and I enter the room, everyone else in the room is happy too, the atmosphere is great, but when it is your day off and you are not in the office, when I come into the room, the atmosphere is terrible, no one is happy, in fact you could cut the air with a knife!” I was shocked by her statement, and grateful, we had come a long way together, for she also knew I was reliable, and honest. It is this manager, that calls me, “Maxine Jasmin-Green,” And I call her by her initials. But enough about me, back to Paul Anderson.