Labour Of Love

MORNING! You must be counting down the days now!" Grant gave Lou a cheery wave as she made her way around the corner of the building.

"In so many ways," she called back, letting herself in the side door.

Grant was a good pal, and he knew how to butter her up for a cuppa and a round of toast.

They'd worked together for more years than she cared to remember, and she'd been glad of his help and support on many an occasion.

He was definitely the handy man of Robin Hill Primary School, as well as the caretaker.

A welcome blast of warm air hit her as she entered the kitchen and she smiled.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly..." At the sound of singing, Lou turned to find her kitchen assistant already donning his overall.

"Guy, it's a bit early in the morning for that. 

"What are you doing here at this hour?" "Never too early for a bit of festive cheer," Guy replied.

"I reckoned those sprouts weren't going to peel themselves.

"There will be a lot to get through today, so I dropped the kids off with my mum - she'll feed them and bring them in at the proper time." Lou smiled her thanks and put some water in the kettle.

She had a great team working with her and she was going to miss them.

"For goodness' sake, put the radio on, then.

"You've been decking the halls since September, so they must be done by now," she teased.

While the tea was brewing, they set the potato peeler going. 

It made the most horrendous racket, and Lou thought her job wouldn't suit anyone prone to headaches, what with all the machinery, the heat of the ovens and the din of the children when the dinner hall was full.

Three hundred and fifty mouths to feed in the space of an hour was no small feat, and it was a noisy affair, too! After 30 years, her ears had earned a rest.

The bosses were yet to appoint her replacement, although they might well be coming later today to make an announcement.

Lou had done all she could to encourage them to choose her second in command.