Preaction Discuss in pairs: Study the title of the short story. What do you think this short story will be about?
Clerk Wanted by Dennis Thorp (1981)
Desmond was waiting for him there. The word MANAGER was on the door. Desmond removed his feet from the desk and shouted, “Come in!” A short, thin man with light hair and blue eyes came in. He was wearing a suit, a plain shirt and very clean shoes. He stopped inside the door, nodded politely and said, “Good morning. You must be the manager. I’m Eric Colshaw.” “Who?” Desmond asked. “Colshaw,” the man said, surprised. “I’ve come to see you about the job. You told me in your letter to come today at 9.30 and –” “Ah, yes,” Desmond said. “Sit down, Mr Conshort.” He nodded towards a chair on the other side of the desk. “It’s Colshaw. Thank you.” He sat down and nearly fell off the chair. One of its legs was shorter than the others. Desmond did not look pleased. “You haven’t been drinking, have you, Mr Crankshaw?” “Of course not,” Colshaw said, “and it’s Colshaw,” he added, a little louder. “May I point out to you, Mr Colshaw, that you don’t need to shout at me,” Desmond said coldly. “I can hear very well.” Colshaw’s face became red. “Sorry,” he said. Desmond took off his glasses. He cleaned them slowly and carefully with his handkerchief. He held them up to the light. He put them on again and at last he said, “So, you want to add up our money for us – you want to become an accounts clerk.” “I am an accounts clerk,” Colshaw replied. “I’ve been working with accounts for several years.” “Really? Why were you thrown out of your last job?” Colshaw became still redder. He took a deep breath and then said
GLOSSARY
manager sjef
Vu
glanced kastet et blikk / kasta eit blikk
plain ensfarget/einsfarga politely høflig/høfleg
handkerchief lommetørkle accounts clerk regnskapsfører/rekneskapsførar
88
Communicate
rd er
in
gs ek s
"Clerk Wanted" was published in a short story collection called Nothing to Fear and Other Stories (1981).
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GO ONLINE or see page 26 for reading strategies for fiction.
When Desmond heard the door of the larger office open, he glanced at his watch: 9.30 a.m. “He’s on time,” he thought. The door closed and for a moment Desmond heard nothing else. The visitor seemed to stop when he saw the empty office. But after a few seconds, the visitor knocked on the door of the smaller, more comfortable office.
