Julia rubbed the loose flour off her hands using her apron and turned round from the kitchen work surface to face them all. Her Mother was smiling and said, that's great, she would love to do it, of course she will, thank you. Julia had no choice in the matter. The deal was struck, it was all decided for her by Colin, well known family friend of her parents. She was to work as his kitchen aid on Saturday afternoon next, when he was doing the catering preparation for a private evening party being held at a local school hall. I've seen her make that pastry, he said, she looks competent, I think she will work hard. I'll pick her up in my van at two-thirty. Her Mother continued to smile; her Dad said that she was very lucky to be offered the chance to earn some money.
He pulled up in his van at two-thirty, told her Mother he would look after her and return her safely in the early evening, and they drove off to the school. She occupied herself as instructed by setting out buffet plates, washing salad and doing the things needed for the party. He drove back to his house to pick up some more things. He arrived back with several boxes of sausage rolls, quiches, vol-aux-vents, hams, paper plates and cups, more things for the buffet. He loaded them onto a work surface and asked Julia to sort them on the buffet table. She stopped washing the salad and walked over to him.
I told my wife you were here, he said winking at her, she said to me aye aye, she's here is she? And he winked at her again. Julia hated being winked at, and especially by him. It felt sinister like he was sharing an adult conspiracy with her, where he was in charge and writing the rules as he went along and she was a responding automaton. She felt uneasy and not in control. But it must be okay as her parents knew him and they had sent her here, arranged it all, they must have agreed to it, they must have trusted him and she felt that she must trust him too.
She got busy with the preparations and the time flew by. The Winter late afternoon dusk set in; Colin switched on the lights in the kitchen and party room. She could see them reflected in the windows and the blackness beyond. It was a separate world placed in an isolated, silent universe. The lonely school rooms spread out and away, past the walls an emptiness, a void, a silent darkness where nothing existed; Julia and Colin were the only people.
He stood behind her, held her shoulders and spun her round. Come on Julia, he said, gissa kiss, come on love, gissa kiss and looked encouragingly at her, his eyes full of optimistic promise. She turned cold and her emotions froze to stone. Adrenalin pumped through her. Was this part of the agreement her parents had made with him? Perhaps it was, she'd better not make them angry.
She reached up and pecked him on the cheek as she would a family member. Not like that Julia, he said, do it better than that! He grabbed her face and pulled her to him and opened his mouth right onto hers and kissed her hard. He smelt stale, foul and sharp, of sweat and old burnt rubber, his face bristle rubbed sharply on her skin. It was horrid and she didn't know how to cope. His breath was hot, wet and smelly. He finally let go and she pulled away.
He then got hold of her upper arms and spun her round so that she she stood facing away from him: he put his arms round her waist and held her close, rubbing her breasts and pulsating his middle up and down her back, making weird grunting noises. He was holding her so tight she couldn't move, the only movement coming from their two bodies pulsing in unison from his rubbing. She was very scared. He then made one longer grunt and weakened his hold on her letting her pull away. He smiled, it's okay Julia, we'll get on with the work. She was glad what ever it was he was doing had finished; she felt guilty, had she been the cause of it? Was it her fault? She didn't know.
They both got down conscientiously to the job and and finished the preparations; they finished around seven o'clock and he drove her home. Her Mum and Dad were waiting for her. They hoped that she had worked hard, oh yes, said Colin she was a very willing and hard worker and she earned herself four pounds. Four pounds! How generous you are Colin! What a lot of money, how generous, what a lucky girl, I hope you said thank you to Colin. He replied, yes she did, she really earned her money. Her Mum stood with a big smile on her face. Julia stood quietly to one side and said nothing.
Julia was thirteen years old.
