The Turnaround Treasure Shop by Jennie Jones Page A

nodded and waited.
    â€˜And I think she’s worked hard for me and Janie-Louise and we’d like her to be happy, so do you think…’
    Nick cleared his throat and did his best to keep his focus on the kid. If Andy was about to suggest Nick helped his mum towards a little happiness in life — like dating-happiness — he wasn’t sure how he’d answer. Surely the kid wasn’t going to—
    â€˜Do you think I should leave school early and get a job?’
    The relief in Nick’s chest turned to a ball of pride in an instant.
    â€˜I could earn money,’ Andy said. ‘And then Mum could get her shop.’
    â€˜What shop?’ he asked, trying not to let the emotion fill his throat. The boy wanted to earn money in order that his mad, crazy, laughter-making, dancing mother had a happy life.
    â€˜The shop on the corner. The one she cleans. She wants to lease it and open up a second-hand knick-knack shop.’
    Lily had a dream? Lily was working towards something other than keeping her children fed and clothed and schooled?
    Andy was frowning now. ‘You know, the shop she cleans.’
    â€˜I know the one. She wants to run it?’
    â€˜She calls it her impossible dream.’
    The most beautiful woman in the world had an impossible dream. Nick fought his sensory reactions: wonder, and maybe a hint of sadness that life had put Lily in a position of having to fight for everything she needed. ‘So you think leaving school early and getting a low paid job is going to help?’ he asked.
    â€˜Well. It would, wouldn’t it?’
    Nick shook his head, careful to make it a measured move. ‘No. What you need to do is finish school and go to college. What you need to do, Andrew, is plan for your future. A great future as an ace machinist. That’s what will make your mum happy, believe me.’
    Andy blinked a number of times, mouth pursed in thought. ‘That is what I want.’
    â€˜So go get it.’
    â€˜I just want to help Mum out a bit. Now.’
    Nick hooked the rag onto the car bonnet. ‘How old are you?’
    Andy straightened, as Nick had. ‘I’ll be 15 in six months.’
    â€˜Heading into the last two years of high school.’
    â€˜Yeah.’
    â€˜So you’ll have a lot of homework and study on your plate, but if you’re keen to work, I could use a hand one day a week. Say on Sundays? I’d pay you. Fifteen bucks an hour.’
    Andy’s eyes widened. ‘Fifteen bucks? That’s way above what any kid I know earns.’
    â€˜Well, you’re not any kid, and you’re working in a remote and rural setting. You get additional monetary compensation for that.’
    â€˜Really?’
    â€˜Let’s start at four hours every Sunday, then work it up to six or seven hours if your study isn’t affected.’
    Nick could see the kid calculating his earnings in his head. ‘I could give it to Mum.’
    Nick shook his head again. ‘No, Andrew. You could try to give some to your mum, maybe quarter of it, but you know your mum won’t take your money, don’t you?’
    Andy nodded acceptance of this truth. ‘I was working every Saturday at the agricultural museum, but they don’t charge entry for that so I wasn’t really needed because people can just wander in and out whenever they like. I knew they were only giving me the job to help me out. Felt bad about it, so I resigned.’
    Nick held onto his smile. A man-boy at the age of 14 had resigned a paying job for the good of his town. ‘Well I could use your skills, Andrew. And I’m in a position to pay you. So long as it doesn’t interfere with your school work.’
    â€˜It wouldn’t. Everybody in school has a weekend job, or an evening job. There just isn’t enough work around Swallow’s Fall for me to get one. And I can’t keep getting the bus into Cooma for a job because it would