“Maybe, but the more often I go around them all, the more likely I am to be in the right place at the right time if a job does come up,” insisted Jack, moaning as he sat up again.

Norma pushed him back down onto the bed, tucked his legs in again, and then said, “Even if they did have any work going, no one would hire you at the moment when you’re so obviously under the weather!   Now I don’t want any more arguments from you!   You’ve been sick as a dog for the last two weeks so you’re going to stay in bed for at least the rest of this week, to make sure you’ve completely recovered.”

“But I can’t!” insisted Jack, sitting up again and then moaning from the exertion.

Norma eased him back down upon the bed again, saying, “You can spend the day sitting up if you like and I’ll spend the day lying you down again, I don’t mind.   That way when you’re strong enough to stop me lying you down, we’ll both know that you’re well enough to go charting after jobs.”

Norma tore the situations vacant pages from the Sun, then placed the newspaper upon the foot of the bed and said, “If you want to have a bit of a look through the paper later on, you can, but I’m taking the work section with me.”   She picked up the breakfast tray and said, “Do you want any of this, or can I take it away with me?”

“You can leave me a cuppa,” said Jack.

Norma poured a cup of tea, which she left on the bedside table, then turned to leave.   She took a couple of steps toward the bedroom door, then looked back and said: “Oh, Jack?   This might not be a good time … But while we’re talking about work, I’ve got another chance at a job in Debbie Williams’s laundry.”

“Another one?   How many jobs does she have going?” asked Jack.   “I didn’t know the laundry business was doing so good?”

“It isn’t,” conceded Norma.   “It’s the same job.”

“You mean to tell me that with so many people looking for work, she hasn’t been able to fill the job in over a year?”