A Social Conscious Is Important, So Is A Holiday And A Good Credit Rating.
Harry Biggs walked out of the front door of his down town clothing store and was greeted by the jeers of demonstrators and the flashing of reporters cameras. Harry was a middle aged man, who's hair had long since gone south. He wore a poor quality, badly maintained work suit and obviously had a perspiration problem.
"No more FURS! No more FURS! No more FURS! No more FURS! No more FURS!" the crowd called.
The mob had made his life a misery and had made doing business impossible for nearly 3 weeks. Now his bosses at headquarters had said enough was enough. They were ready to call it a day and it was Harry's sad duty to inform the mod of their decision. He held his hands up for silence and appealed to the crowd. Eventually the calling & heckling stopped.
"People! People! I have just received this letter from my head office," Harry held up a white sheet of A4 paper that had been folded many times. "They have asked me to tell you. YOU'VE WON. Please can two representatives come forward to inspect the store to prove that we have cleared our shelves of furs. The rest of you please GO! HOME!" With that Harry took one sad look round, acknowledged the man and women coming through the crowd, then turned and re-entered the store. No one went home.
There was great cheering and clapping from the crowd as a man & women came through and soon they stood before the entrance. They were quite young, maybe in their late 20's and were obviously a couple as they walked to the entrance hand in hand.
The man had the look of a young Lenin, with his slightly receding hair line, goatee beard, matching tash and slight, short frame. Though happy to have won he was a little embarrassed by the attention he was getting.
The women was tall and slender. She had brown hair that was platted into a long pony tail and moved with a larger than life enthusiasm that caused her hair to dance around like a puppet on a string. She beamed a big wide, not unattractive smile to the crowd and waved her free hand wildly.
On the other side of the door was the men's section of the clothing store. Harry Biggs met them mopping his brow with a grey dirty rag and looking round troubled and confused. After a moments hesitation he introduced himself. His manner was such that he was determined to remain civil, even though he detested everything about the people before him.
The young man introduced himself as James Templeton and then with a gesture of his hand introduced his wife Helen. Helen smiled her big broad smile at Harry. Harry looked from James to Helen and was totally unmoved.
"You better come this way," Harry said.
At the back of the shop was the ladies section. As they got closer it was obvious that a lot of work had done clearing the shelves and a lot more was in progress refilling them. Two young ladies were filling rails with ladies black and blue dress suits. A third lady was carrying more ladies jackets from the door of the warehouse to the unfilled hangers. "As you can see the hangers are empty of fur jackets and the shelves are minus gloves and throws," said Harry. He gestured with his hand in a sweeping motion and indicated the area before them.
"Oh! That's super," said Helen. She beamed. "Isn't it James." James however was not happy. He looked around and then strode up to a near by box and peered in. He was unhappy with what he didn't find.
"OK so where's the furs Biggs," James said. He was a lot more confident now that he was no longer in front of a crowd. One to one he felt he was a match for anyone and he knew it was time to make this petty little man suffer.
"What do you mean 'where's the furs'. It was you who insisted we take them off our shelves."
"Not so you can sell them in another store Biggs!"
"OH so you think I'm just going to give them to you! Do you TEMPLETON!"
By this time voices had been raised. Harry was starring at James and James was staring right back. James blinked first. He looked at Helen, who'd by this time stopped smiling. He took a deep breath and continued a little calmer.
"Look Harry, This is what YOU! Are going to do. You and your staff are going to bring out all the furs. Then your going to take them out to the street and your going to watch while my friends burn them, in front of the worlds press. Now if you don't do this, that crowd out there WILL! Lay siege to this shop for ever. Nothing goes in, NOTHING COMES OUT!" James looked at Harry. Harry was quite expressionless. James had expected some sort of reaction, but Harry just stood and considered what James had just said.
Helen moved uncomfortably from foot to foot and then shuffled a little closer to the smaller James. She was tired of this whole fight. It had seamed like great fun to begin with, a great way to spend there summer holidays from the school they worked in , but now she just wanted it over.
Harry for his part knew the jig was up. The letter he still carried in his hand gave him instructions to end this and end it know. 'Do what ever is necessary' were his instructions, but he knew his bosses hadn't meant to loose all their expensive stock. He also knew the letter meant his arse was covered.
"OK JAMES! but understand this. You have already cost my employers three weeks takings and now you are going to cost them a small fortune in furs. James my employers are Petty! Petty! Men and will not forgive and forget this." Harry immediately turned to address his staff, leaving James unable to respond. He ordered the three ladies to stop what they were doing and get the furs. As James had instructed they took them to the front entrance. Harry was about to follow them, but then paused and looked directly at Helen. In full view of James, he looked her up and down with his eyes and then moved on"
"Now wait a min.." Helen had grabbed James's arm and looked him directly in his eyes. Shook her head, then smiled. Not the broad smile she gave out to everyone else, but a quiet small smile, which said 'I love you and it doesn't matter'.
The furs got burnt the press had a field day and James and Helen were heroes for a day. They went home.
*** **** ***
The next evening, Saturday as it happens, Helen and James were driving to a city centre bar. It was a hang out for bikers, students and nurses until about 8pm and then started to fill with night club goers looking for a pre bop drink. It was the former group who made up Helen and James's Fur action group so it was the ideal venue for a victory party.
Helen was in a bit of a mood. The credit card, the telephone and the gas bill had all arrived that day and James had hit the roof. He claimed that their money had all gone and they were going to have to cancel their short trip to the mountains, which had been scheduled for the last week of the summer break.