‘Yes. He had some copy to file before he came down but he should be here any minute, I hope. He’ll be writing the story.’
As the news and weather was coming to an end, Rosa pulled the yellow headphones down over her ears and with a big thumbs-up from Josh she heard the producer saying in her ears, ‘So, Rosa, we are just running with one song and then Barry will come straight to you.’
Rosa had to grin and bear the fact that she was being interviewed by the South Cliffs Today main presenter, Barry Savage himself. In the past, this man had tried to get information out of her but she had always managed to keep her mouth shut. This time, though, she would be using him and the airwaves for her own benefit – and for the benefit of many others too.
With his beige-and-white-checked three-piece suit, which was stretched to capacity over his large stomach, Barry Savage was still the image of Mr Toad of Toad Hall, Rosa thought. She also hoped that he had been to the dry cleaners with the suit, as it seemed to be his broadcasting outfit of choice on the last two occasions that she had met him.
‘So, that was the Red Hot Chili Peppers with “Give it Away” – and that is exactly what our next guest, Rosa Smith, is doing. She is giving away the Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, which she currently owns and is successfully running as a pet supplies store. This has obviously caused so much interest in the local community that we are doing a live broadcast direct from Cockleberry Bay village hall. So, let me start by welcoming you, Rosa, and by asking, why on earth are you doing this?’
Rosa swallowed and looked over to Josh who gave her an encouraging wink. ‘My great-grandparents left me the shop in their will. I think they were worried I might just come down here and sell it off, so they made that legally impossible. You see, the shop had been such a mainstay in the community that they felt they owed it to the residents to keep it running as a local shop and not let it be taken over as a small branch of a big chain, just as Trehalligan’s the newsagents was, by the Co-op.’ Rosa opened up a piece of paper she was holding. ‘In order for everyone to be clear, I would like to read out exactly what my great-grandfather stated in his last will and testament.’
‘Go ahead.’ Barry ran his hands through his greasy-looking, greying hair.
‘“One proviso of my gift to you is that you must NEVER sell the Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay. When you feel the time is right, it can only be passed on to someone you feel really deserves it, and only then”.’
‘But both your great-grandparents are dead, aren’t they?’ Barry said. ‘If you sold it off you could make a fortune, and,’ he guffawed, ‘unless they came back to haunt you, they would never know.’
There was both a gasp and a slight ripple of laughter from the live audience. Rosa thought of Queenie, her outspoken great-grandmother, who would no doubt make her life a misery from the other side if she had ever dared to do such a thing, and smiled wryly.
‘Some of us, Barry, have morals. I am very blessed that the business has done so well and enabled me to move forward with a new one, the café I run with Sara Jenkins in Cockleberry Bay. But life isn’t all about money, you know.’
‘Oh, isn’t it? One could argue that you probably wouldn’t be doing this if you hadn’t secured yourself a rich husband who could buy your share in the café now known as ROSA’S.’
Rosa wasn’t quite sure how she managed not to rise to the bait. Kelly and Scott were sniggering in the corner, she saw, no doubt thinking of how they could use all this wonderful content in the South Cliffs Gazette.
‘One could also argue, Barry,’ Rosa replied coolly, ‘that some people find it so hard to believe that a twenty-something girl from East London could have single-handedly created a successful business that they are just a teensy bit jealous, couldn’t one?’
‘OK, OK, Rosa.’ The rotund presenter was slightly ruffled himself now. ‘Why don’t you explain to all the lovely people in the room and our morning listeners just how they can be the lucky recipients of the shop and flat – that’s right, isn’t it? There is a two-bedroom flat above the shop that comes with this gem of an opportunity too?’
‘Yes, that’s correct.’
There was another little gasp from the audience, as most had assumed it was just the shop that was being given away and not such a substantial investment.
Rosa looked again towards Josh, who blew her a kiss. Sara nodded vigorously in support, and even Nate mouthed, ‘Go on, girl.’
Rosa stood tall and addressed everyone there.
‘I thought long and hard about how to do this fairly. I also want to make my great-grandparents proud of me.’ She took a moment before going on. ‘It is often said that something good can come out of a tragedy. And the idea of exactly how to do this fairly, and do right by everyone involved, came to me following the destruction caused by the recent storm. Seeing the compassionate dedication and sheer hard work with which Sea and Save managed to rebuild our beach and save our wildlife led me to recognise that there are so many wonderful local charities out there that don’t get the funding they need. So, if you are passionate about taking over my business – and passion is the key word here – these are the very simple steps you need to follow.’ Rosa turned to Barry. ‘Is it OK for me to go ahead?’
‘Yes, yes, I’m as intrigued as everybody else. I might even go for it myself.’ As Barry laughed, his stomach rose and fell. There was absolute silence in the hall. You could have heard a pin drop.
Rosa held up her right index finger, on which Josh’s beautiful ring fitted so well. The lapis Lazuli heart shone out, helping her to speak with sincerity and truth.
‘These are the simple steps you need to take in order to be in with a chance of acquiring my business.’ She paused for effect. ‘I want somebody sharp to take over from me, not someone who needs to be spoon-fed instructions. So, please listen carefully. However, if you do miss something, the steps will be printed in this week’s South Cliffs Gazette. What’s more, the newspaper has kindly agreed to donate one thousand pounds to Sea and Save in exchange for having the exclusivity of this story. So, thank you to them for that.’ Rosa smiled towards Scott and Kelly.
‘That’s my girl,’ Josh said under his breath, as Bergamot flounced in and shut the church hall door noisily behind her.
‘OK, here we go. Step One: Take the brightest coloured envelope you can find and address it to Ned’s Gift, The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, Main Street, Cockleberry Bay, Devon. Step Two,’ Rosa carried on, then realising that nobody on the radio could see her holding her fingers up, she quickly put them down again. ‘On one sheet of paper, I want you to tell me the local charity you would like to donate to, a brief reason why you have chosen them, and finally, the amount you would like to donate to them when the ballot is closed.’
‘Intriguing, Rosa, very intriguing,’ Barry interrupted. ‘So, is there a number three?’ He was already counting numbers himself – the number of listeners he would be gaining if he announced the winner on air.
‘Yes, there is. Number three is, in fact, the most important. In a paragraph or two I would like you to state what exactly it would mean to you to run the Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay and what you are intending to sell when you take it on.’