With her education, she envisioned herself finding work in any one of the galleries throughout the city, or in some other prestigious endeavour.
Weeks later, and thoroughly disillusioned, she lowered her sights somewhat, and began applying for less glamorous positions in the same organisations, with the same negative results.
‘It’s a good thing I don’t have to rely on a regular income. I would have starved by now,’ grumbled Jade into her beer at the Golden Stag. A new, female, Negro singer was warbling jazz in tune with a trembling solo trumpet from the leader of the band. Normally Jade would have been giving the performance her rapt attention, but it all meant nothing, as she stared into the distance, wondering in what direction her future lay.
‘Don’t worry. Something will come up,’ offered Rani.
‘Easy for you to say; your whole life is laid out before you.
You’ve known what you were going to do since the day I first met you.’
‘Well you’ve certainly had a lot to do with that, and I’ll start paying you back as soon as I can.’
‘There’s no rush. You know that.’
‘I know, but it’s something that I really need to do. For my own self esteem.’ Rani saw a movement at the door. ‘Here comes Walter. I haven’t seen much of him lately.’
‘Neither have I. I rang him to let him know that we now had the telephone connected, and that was the first I’d spoken to him in weeks. I thought he was supposed to be courting me.’
‘Perhaps he’s taken your rejection to heart.’
‘He hasn’t even been around for more sex. I’m beginning to think I did something wrong.’
‘Are you sure you didn’t snap it off?’ Laughed Rani.
Jade laughed at the thought of it. ‘No. I’m sure it was still in fine fettle, the last time he put it away in his trousers.’
Walter joined them with a beer in his hand. ‘You’re both looking at me strangely. What’s going on?’
‘Oh, we’re just been doing some imagining. Girly things. Don’t you worry your handsome little head,’ said Rani, giggling.
Jade laughed as well. ‘We were wondering where you’ve been hiding. Rani thought you might have been scared off.’
‘I’ve had business to attend to. Now I’m here for pleasure.’
‘Oh goody! Pleasure. I like pleasure.’ Jade winked.
Walter tried to ignore Jade’s brazen looks, but blushed, recalling a naked Jade, in all her glory. ‘How is your job-hunting going?’ he asked, trying to change the subject.
Jade made a face. ‘I was trying to drink myself into oblivion, to forget all about that subject. It’s not going well at all. I’ve got all the qualifications an employer could possibly want, but no one wants anything to do with me.’
Walter regarded her over the rim of his glass. Licking his lips, he placed it down. ‘Sometimes it’s not what you know, so much as who you know.’
‘Well thank you very much for those very wise words, but unfortunately I don’t know anyone. Now I feel even worse than before.’
Walter grinned. ‘Perhaps you know more people than you think you know.’
Jade turned to him, waiting for him to elaborate. ‘Well, I’m listening.’
Walter took his time. Sipping at his beer, he looked around the room, studying the clientele, which consisted of the usual sprinkling of pimps, attended occasionally by their girls, with an increasing amount of the well-to-do jazz lovers.
‘Well, Jade. I know you talk to a lot of people in here, but if you know some of them then who knows all of them?’
‘I give up. Who?’
‘Someone who talks to everyone in here, from the lowest to the highest. Come on.’
They made their way between the tables, with Walter stopping at the bar.
‘That new singer is absolutely superb,’ commented Walter to the barman, as he ordered more drinks. The barman had been listening to the music while polishing glasses. As he placed the drinks down, Walter said to him, ‘Unfortunately, my friend Jade here has a problem, and she can’t concentrate on the music because of it.’
‘And what sort of problem would cause someone to ignore such a fine singer?’
Jade explained her problem, and the barman asked many penetrating questions about her education and plans for the future before rubbing his chin. ‘I’ll give it some thought. Now, if you’ll leave me to my work and the music, I’ll make some calls, and let you know what I can find out.’
‘Are you sure he’ll be able to help?’ asked Jade as they returned to their table.
‘You’re looking at one of the most famous people in the country. Without a caring and attentive barman, most of the world’s problems would never be solved.’
‘He doesn’t show off his knowledge.’
‘Actually, that’s the sign of a truly wise man; to be able to listen, and then guide without letting the person know.’
‘Well, I’ll just wait and see,’ commented Jade. ‘Anyway, I’m going to the toilet.’
‘Give my regards to the Ladies Club.’
‘I’ll send some of them over to keep you company.’ The Ladies Club was the name given to the women’s toilet, located down a dark and smelly hallway from the main bar.
With no facilities on the street, the girls used the toilet to clean up, and reapply their makeup, after first depositing the money earned, with their pimps. It became their only sanctuary on cold or wet evenings. A place to dry out, and warm up, away from the prying eyes of the men in the bar. Here they were out of the reach of their pimps, and could exchange a few words of mutual support. It was a mean, dirty place, but it offered the only comfort they had.
Jade had come to know a few of the girls, and they accepted her readily, especially when they found out that she could be free with her money. She had been known to lend them money from time to time, especially when their pimps refused to hand over the girl’s share, and their rent was due.
As Jade walked down the hall, a small, blond girl, lounging against the wall, held out her hand. ‘Thanks, love,’ she said, holding out some crumpled notes.
‘Are you sure you don’t still need it?’
‘No. I managed to get some money out of that bastard out there,’ she said, indicating one of the pimps, swilling beer at the bar.
Jade took the notes. Thrust them into her pocket, not bothering to count the money. She knew it would be the correct amount.
‘Perhaps you can put some aside, so it doesn’t happen again.’
‘I can’t afford to, and even if I could, he’d probably find it, and cut me for holding out on him.’
Jade could think of many things that she would like to say to the girl. Arguments against living the life she was living, but knew it was useless. Jade came from a world where people had things, while the girl came from a completely different planet. A place where a few crumpled notes meant all the difference in life.
As she entered the toilet, Jade found two of the girls comforting a third, who was sobbing into their shoulders. Not wanting to interfere, Jade quietly entered a cubicle. Finished, she opened the door, and moved to the sinks to wash her hands.
The girl continued to sob uncontrollably.
One of her friends broke