Cleaning for Floyd

Cleaning for Floyd ©

By

Michael Casey

As Pink Floyd popped up on the music Floyd appears on the page, meanwhile my dinner is in the oven, and I hope Tinnitus nor Pain interrupt as I put a new story on the page, 19th Nov 2021 is the date if you are tracking me. Tea rhythms with tracking me so I my just have one before I start, and yes the pain is rumbling in my shoulder.

But let us begin our story, Grace had shoulder pains too, all the hoovering she used to do, a girl has to clean if she wants to buy those new shoes. Grace worked in several offices, coming in at night and tidying up. Amazing Grace, was her nickname, she could make anything spick and span, and if you lost anything she would find it. So obviously she was very much in demand, amongst the High End office brigade. Lawyers and Building Societies, and stray Estate agencies. They were in a new block just by Saint Philips church yard, Birmingham, that’s in England by the way. 

So, Grace had popped in for a quick one, a prayer that is, and bumped into a casual lawyer wearing two odd shoes, he’d got up in the dark and did not want to disturb his girlfriend, hence the odd shoes. He dropped his briefs and she picked them up quickly, he was just on his way back from Court, Grace apologized.  No need, he replied, I pop in the cathedral too if I ‘m doing something big in Court. But don’t tell anybody he continued.  I’m looking for a new cleaning gig myself said Grace. So there and then Mr TwoShoes gave her a job. It was so hard to find a quality cleaner. And that’s how Grace begun her QC cleaning company. Mr TwoShoes said it was simpler that way, and they had accountants and so forth back at base, as they called the Law Firm.

So, Grace began with one, then two or three, till finally the building was hers. She came in during the late afternoon then kept on going all was done sometime it was almost dawn when she finished. Now Lawyers are like hawks, so soon the block next door came around sniffing, but Mr TwoShoes was there to defend his catch, you’ll not have our QC, get one of your own. QC if you do not know if a very posh name for a very high powered lawyer, a Queens Council. We won’t litigate over it was the smiled reply, but if your QC, your Amazing Grace has a sister, then Mr. Tort will be happy to give her 25% more to do our building too, providing her skills are equitable. Now Grace over heard this and had a fit of giggles, My Skills, that’s what my boyfriend calls it. The lawyers blushed, though they were in accord Grace was amazing, if you dash around all the time cleaning it is far better than any bike in a garage. So, Sharon who had had enough of Nail Bar life joined QC, Quality Cleaners, and Mr TwoShoes increased the fee by 25% too, he did not want to be accused of mistreating the staff, though Friend is a better word, as that’s how Grace felt amongst them.

So, time passed, and QC grew and grew. They had all kinds of vacuum too, not just Henrys but brooms on a stick the fancy charging ones. Grace never forgot her chance meeting outside of Saint Phillips, so she’s sung a hymn to herself as Dawn broke. Now Grace was in a Gospel Choir, the one that was at the children’s home do in Old Forge and Singing Anvil, Chapter7 to be precise from BBU. If you need a clue. Anyway Grace would sing, and as the windows were open to let some air in, her voice would drift across the square. And if you have Shona in you as Sharon and the cleaners from QC did soon a choir was singing. Now a handful of Shona is like an army of angels. This sound saved a life, the Bliss it gave, made somebody decide to live not die. He was a wannabe Music Producer down on his luck. But when Shona sing, it is Almighty God humming. What more can I say. QC has cleaned an office or two over-night but at the darkest part of the night just before Dawn, when bad things can happen, Shona singing had praised God and saved a life.

The Music man, said thank you, this really was the rhythm of the saints, made by Shona cleaners.  So, it came to pass, he got some therapy, and as luck would have it, his sister worked in filing at the law firm where QC had its first cleaning gig. Which led to him meeting them, and eventually producing them. The QC girls laughed when asked to record a CD, will we be bigger than UB40? Eventually was the reply. And Mr TwoShoes himself would do all the Legals. So, singing Professionally became a reality. They did do a Charity concert for Christmas at Saint Phillips cathedral, where the ticket price was extortionate. But Lawyers all wanted to be there, not just for the singing, but on the off chance they could get on QC waiting list.

And what was the Charity, The Samaritans. For Christmas is a time of great joy, but any Samaritan will tell you, Christmas can bring pain too. So, let this Christmas 2021 be a time of glad tidings and great joy as the Shona choir sing. For being a good Samaritan at any time, or any day of the week, is the greatest gift you can give, and Singing not only praises God, but can save a life, any day not just at Christmas.