Memoirs of a Dance Hall Romeo Read Online Free PDF Page B

a try. You’ll see what I mean.’
    I thought about what he had said as I walked home through the rain-soaked garden and later, sitting by the open window of my bedroom, smoking my last cigarette. I was tired, my face hurt, but I felt surprisingly cheerful. I’d had an adventure of sorts, which was something, and tomorrow, or to be more specific, next Tuesday, had a kind of infinite promise to it.
    I went to bed, well content.

3
HELEN
    Sooner or later what every young boy needs is a good woman to take him in hand.
    ANON
    T HE FOLLOWING MONDAY, THE whole world changed with the morning post. The first letter was important enough in its way, a cheque for one hundred and three pounds thirteen shillings from the Army, in settlement of all debts. But the second was the big surprise. A communication from the University of London to inform me of my success in the final examinations, which I had sat as an external student earlier in the year.
    Without any false modesty, I can truly say that I had never expected to pass, for Sociology and Social Psychology had never particularly interested me. The only reason I had started the course in the first place was because the insurance firm I’d worked for before joining up had offered two afternoons off each week, on full pay, at the local college, and in those days I was willing to do anything to get out of the office. I’d only bothered to take my finals because the Army had offered what they termed compassionate leave to come home to sit the examinations, a chance not to be missed.
    But now, for good or ill, I was a Bachelor of Science with Third Class Honours, thanks to failing a compulsory paper in Statistics which had reduced me a class. I gave Jake a ring at his office to impart the good news and arranged to have lunch with him. He only had an hour so we adjourned to a pub round the corner from his place and ordered beer and sandwiches.
    He sat in a booth and toasted me solemnly. ‘To you, old sport. I think it’s bloody marvellous. The thing is, now you’ve got it, what are you going to do with it?’
    ‘God knows,’ I said. ‘I never expected to pass.’
    ‘They’ll probably offer you promotion if you go back to the old firm now,’ he said.
    I shook my head firmly. ‘That’s out for a start. I’ll never work in an office again as long as I live. That’s a promise.’
    ‘How long have you been writing now?’
    ‘Since I was thirteen.’
    ‘And never sold a word.’
    ‘All right,’ I said with some feeling, for it was the one area in my life that was really of importance to me. ‘Don’t rub it in.’
    ‘I didn’t intend to. Simply wanted to make the point that you can’t expect to make a living in that quarter, or at least not for some time.’
    I sat there rather glumly, thinking it over, and he went to get two more beers. When he returned, he was frowning thoughtfully. ‘What about teaching?’ he said as he sat down.
    I stared at him blankly. ‘Teaching? But I haven’t got any training, you know that.’
    ‘You don’t need any,’ he said and swallowed some of his beer. ‘A client of ours was telling me there’s such a shortage of teachers these days, they’ll take anybody. As long as they’ve got a degree, that is.’
    It didn’t seem very probable to me. I said, ‘Are you sure?’
    He nodded. ‘Oh, yes, as long as you’ve got a degree they’ll take you without teacher training.’
    ‘Any degree?’
    ‘Apparently. You could do worse, you know. Nine to four, twelve weeks’ holiday a year. Leave you plenty of time to write.’ He finished the rest of the beer and stood up. ‘I’ll have to run. See you later. I’d give it some thought if I were you.’
    Which I did, with the aid of another pint, finally phoning the local Education Offices from the call box in the corner of the bar. With a promptness that I should have recognized as suspicious in any branch of local government, I was invited for an interview at three o’clock that very