Would You Employ This Woman?

SCENE ; shop floor, serving a customer

me; ( hands customer carrier bag) Thank you, bye!!

second woman loiters in the background. she looks dishevelled, like amy winehouse on a bad day, is pale, vacant looking, wearing a long shapeless pale blue anorak, green combat pants and trainers. she approaches the counter. she stares at me

woman; Can I have an application form please?

me; I'm sorry, we dont keep application forms instore

woman; What do I do then? Do I get one from job centre?

me; (Apologetically) I'm sorry, we only advertise when we have an actual vacancy, and at the moment we have no vacancies.

woman; But I've got a letter from job centre for a job....

me; (puzzled) Have you?!

woman; Yeah. My friend went to job centre and she ..... ( trails off into mumbling as she rakes around in her large shopping bag full of junk)

I wait patiently. slightly concerned incase a job was advertised without my knowledge while I was having my long weekend.

woman; Here it is. (she hands me a tatty A4 sheet folded in about ten.)

I read the note.....

me; I'm sorry , this isn't an application form for this shop.

woman; (puzzled) Isn't it?

me; no. it says here look at the bottom (pointing) 'c/o shoe collector, Debenhams PLC. It's an application for Debenhams.

woman; Is it? (looks very confused)

me; (sympathetically) Did the job centre tell you to come here?

woman; Oh no... I just thought I'd pop in here on my way past just incase you had anything going.....



me; .....