the place isn’t haunted,” he laughed. “Normally we completely clear a flat of everything even the carpets and we then offer the tenancy for the empty house, but Tricia said you don’t have anything of your own so I haven’t actually cleared out the white goods in the kitchen. There’s laminate flooring throughout so you’ll be all right with that. If you want the white goods you can have them but the lease will state that the flat is empty and unfurnished. As far as anyone is concerned the white goods are your own, okay?”
Katy hadn’t realised the flat would be unfurnished because she’d never rented from the council before and it came as quite a shock.
“Thank you, you’re very kind,” she said. Then turning to Tricia asked, “What will I do about furniture? I have nothing and very little money. At the very least I’ll need a bed.”
“If you want to take the flat, don’t worry, there’s a couple of charities that will help. The Salvation Army, for one, either they’ll give you what you require or they’ll sell you second hand furniture at a very cheap price. There’s a couple of other charities who’ll supply you with starter packs of crockery, cutlery, pots and pans, bedding, all manner of things so don’t think about it at the moment, just concentrate on the flat and let us know if you want to take it.”
Katy walked over to the large picture window in the lounge and stared out over the city. The view was s pectacular. She checked out the bedroom and was relieved to see a wardrobe and shelf unit were built in. The bathroom was fully tiled and had a plain white suite with an electric shower over the bath. The lounge was large enough to hold a sofa and a table and chairs and the kitchen looked new.
“That’s a new kitchen, by the way,” Bill said confirming her opinion. “We only fitted it five month s ago. We supplied the new white goods as well, that’s why I’m reluctant to throw them away. The bathroom was fitted at the same time. It’s a good building. We never have any trouble in this one because the concierge’s office is on the ground floor. The block is mostly full of old folk and students, just one or two foreigners and no asylum seekers, they’re housed somewhere else.”
“You’ve sold it to me Bill,” Katy replied smiling. “I’m very grateful to you both for all your help. I‘d be happy to live here if you’ll let me.”
“That’s settled then,” the social worker said. “I’ll sort out the paperwork and I’ll contact the charities to see what they can give you. We’ll try to have you in by Friday. That will give you time to get organised before you start your new job.”
As Tricia had to go on to her next appointment, Bill kindly offered to show Katy where the bus stop was so she could catch the bus back to the refuge.
“Don’t worry about living so high up,” he said as they walked across the estate. “I grew up in a high rise flat in the Gorbals and they were nowhere near as nice as this. In fact, the locals nicknamed the blocks after prisons. Block A was Alcatraz, B was Barlinnie, I lived in Alcatraz on the fourteenth floor. You get used to the height and you get used to the way of life. These flats here in Townhead are the cream of the crop. If they’d been privately built, in this city centre location, you’d have to pay well over £150,000 to buy one of them.”
Katy was prepared to take his word for it. For the time being at least she was simply grateful to have a roof over her head. After all, she’d arrived in a new location with very little to her name so she was delighted with the progress she’d made. Now she had a new job, a new home and a new life.
CHAPTER10
After his liaison with Tracy at the pub, Gordon was complacent. He took risks when stealing and openly tried to sell his loot to traders at the local market. He drank too much, often didn’t wash,
Katy hadn’t realised the flat would be unfurnished because she’d never rented from the council before and it came as quite a shock.
“Thank you, you’re very kind,” she said. Then turning to Tricia asked, “What will I do about furniture? I have nothing and very little money. At the very least I’ll need a bed.”
“If you want to take the flat, don’t worry, there’s a couple of charities that will help. The Salvation Army, for one, either they’ll give you what you require or they’ll sell you second hand furniture at a very cheap price. There’s a couple of other charities who’ll supply you with starter packs of crockery, cutlery, pots and pans, bedding, all manner of things so don’t think about it at the moment, just concentrate on the flat and let us know if you want to take it.”
Katy walked over to the large picture window in the lounge and stared out over the city. The view was s pectacular. She checked out the bedroom and was relieved to see a wardrobe and shelf unit were built in. The bathroom was fully tiled and had a plain white suite with an electric shower over the bath. The lounge was large enough to hold a sofa and a table and chairs and the kitchen looked new.
“That’s a new kitchen, by the way,” Bill said confirming her opinion. “We only fitted it five month s ago. We supplied the new white goods as well, that’s why I’m reluctant to throw them away. The bathroom was fitted at the same time. It’s a good building. We never have any trouble in this one because the concierge’s office is on the ground floor. The block is mostly full of old folk and students, just one or two foreigners and no asylum seekers, they’re housed somewhere else.”
“You’ve sold it to me Bill,” Katy replied smiling. “I’m very grateful to you both for all your help. I‘d be happy to live here if you’ll let me.”
“That’s settled then,” the social worker said. “I’ll sort out the paperwork and I’ll contact the charities to see what they can give you. We’ll try to have you in by Friday. That will give you time to get organised before you start your new job.”
As Tricia had to go on to her next appointment, Bill kindly offered to show Katy where the bus stop was so she could catch the bus back to the refuge.
“Don’t worry about living so high up,” he said as they walked across the estate. “I grew up in a high rise flat in the Gorbals and they were nowhere near as nice as this. In fact, the locals nicknamed the blocks after prisons. Block A was Alcatraz, B was Barlinnie, I lived in Alcatraz on the fourteenth floor. You get used to the height and you get used to the way of life. These flats here in Townhead are the cream of the crop. If they’d been privately built, in this city centre location, you’d have to pay well over £150,000 to buy one of them.”
Katy was prepared to take his word for it. For the time being at least she was simply grateful to have a roof over her head. After all, she’d arrived in a new location with very little to her name so she was delighted with the progress she’d made. Now she had a new job, a new home and a new life.
CHAPTER10
After his liaison with Tracy at the pub, Gordon was complacent. He took risks when stealing and openly tried to sell his loot to traders at the local market. He drank too much, often didn’t wash,
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