For David Ratcliffe it was a no-brainer. If he was to afford to attend Golden Beach University he needed to both a: obtain a part-time job, and b: find somewhere close by to live - preferably somewhere inexpensive. As luck would have it, he managed to take care of both problems during the final week of his summer vacation. The sandy-haired student spotted a job advertisement in a small retail bookstore window as he glided by on his pushbike. The offer was for fifteen hours a week; that meant all day Saturday and a few hours sprinkled here and there throughout the week. The bookstore's owner, Ted Masters was getting on, and needed someone reliable to help stock the shelves and take care of his customers. For Ted, the plan was simple, David could take care of the heavier work while his other young assistant, Madeline, could take care of the customers. That way Ted could occupy himself with purely management tasks. Several weeks in, it became quite clear that the arrangements had worked out splendidly.
David did well at school and, on graduation, managed to gain attendance into a Bachelor of Info Tech degree at the nearby University. His natural common sense and sensibility made him perfect for helping Mister Masters with his store. David won an award during his high school years for applying himself to his studies - a testament to his desire to do the right thing and remain responsible. He wasn't too interested in partying with friends, although he would go out with them occasionally. Mostly, he was interested in studying hard so that he could fulfil his dream of building his own dot com. If the truth be told, David was a responsible, young man that almost any girl would have been keen to be seen with. In his mind though, he was a bit of a geek and that kept the girls at bay.
The journey between his parent's house and both work and university was tedious. The two hour train ride was draining, but it gave David a chance to catch up on his tutorial work and polish his studies. It was Mister Masters who recommended that David might consider moving closer to both work and campus. He said he had a friend who had occasionally taken in young students - most recently her niece. He slipped the young lad a piece of paper at closing time one Friday afternoon. The note simply said, Pamela Janson, along with a telephone number.
David arranged to meet Mrs Janson at her house. As he pedalled his bike along the somewhat shoddy bitumen road that was Owen Lane, he appreciated the beauty of the afternoon sunlight struggling to penetrate the dense trees that lined the road.
"This is nice," David said aloud as he pulled his bike into the driveway of a quaint cottage. He double checked the mailbox. Thirty-three - yep, this was the place alright. Mrs Janson's house was right on the edge of a hinterland that stretched up into the mountains beyond. Her's was one of the last houses on the street and David noticed the street lights finished just a little further down the road.
The bottom step creaked as David stepped up onto the porch. He was about to knock on the screen door when it opened before him. "Oh hi," a kindly looking woman greeted him, "you must be David!" The woman was wiping her hands on an apron - testament to the fact she had been inside preparing dinner. She extended her right hand to David, "I'm Pam. It's so nice to meet you."
David smiled at her warmly, "It's nice to meet you Mrs Janson. Mister Masters sent me to see about the room he said you might have available."
"Well, firstly," Mrs Janson smiled, "you can call me Pam. Please... otherwise it makes me feel old."
"Okay, Pam..." David grinned. He couldn't help but notice Pam's pristine, white skin and the way she had pulled her long, brown hair up behind her head, held in place by a large, spring-loaded clip. Her face was gentle and quite beautiful. Her large, brown eyes radiated a warmth that instantly made him feel at ease.
"And, yes you're right, my niece has been staying in the spare room upstairs - she just finished her degree late last year. She's been offered a job in one of the big banks and needs to move closer to her work." Pam opened the screen door wide, "Please, come in!"
David slipped off his sneakers and strolled into a large lounge room. The afternoon sun was fast disappearing behind the mountains and Pam strolled around the room, flipping the switches on various small lamps, creating a warm ambience in the room that felt perfectly homely.
"Thats better," she smiled. "Say, I was just preparing a pumpkin pie for dinner, if you're interested?"
"Really?" David looked at her shyly.
"Sure, it's fine! Unless you need to be elsewhere, of course."
"Ummm, no - I just finished work for the day and I can catch the train back home a little later. I probably should call home, though. And let them know what I'm up to." David knew he needed to remain flexible if he was to make a good impression, and it would give him a chance to have a look around. From what he had seen so far, the place was lovely and quiet; perfect for getting a lot of study done, and only a fifteen minute bike ride across the back roads to the campus.
"Okay, well let me just slip this pie into the oven and I'll give you the grand tour."
David had a look around the lounge, perusing various photographs while Pam busied herself back in the kitchen.
"I hope you like ginger beer," Pam smiled when she returned to David's side, holding out a tumbler filled with ice and bubbly soda.
"For sure... thanks," David gladly accepted the drink and eagerly sipped it. After the ride out to Pam's house he was parched. Needless to say, the cold soda felt good as it went down.
"This is your family?" David motioned to a tall bookshelf that was filled with books but was also home to several framed photographs.
"Yes, that's my sister and there's Mom and Dad. And this one is of Bruce. He died in an accident two, no three, years ago now."
"I'm sorry," David felt awkward and embarrassed.
"Oh, don't be," Pam smiled, "Of course, forty-two is a little young to be going, but I guess when our time's up, it's up. So how old are you, David?"
"I, ummm, I just turned eighteen a few weeks back."
"Well, I just turned forty-one a few months back."