Girl's Best Friend

Chapter Twelve: Work

I decide on her neighborhood because lots of rich people live there. I knock on the door of a house next to Diana's, a huge, three-story red brick one.
A fat, balding man opens the door. "Yeh? What d'you want?"
"I- I'd like to- I mean, if you want me to, I can shovel your snow. On your sidewalk, I mean." That didn't come out right. But the man peers over my shoulder. "Eh? Oh. S'cold out, huh? Snowin'."
"Yeah. So, do you-"
"Yeh. Sure. Jus', ya know, shovel tha' driveway n' sidewalk."
"Okay." I say. "How much do you want to pay me?" That didn't come out right either.
"I'll pay ya in a'vance. Say, erm, fi'ty? Fi'ty bucks?"
Fifty dollars! "Oh, yes, if that's a good price for you." I say.
"Yeh." the man says. He pulls a folded stack of bills out of his pocket. After rifling through them for a bit, he finds a fifty and gives it to me. "'Ere." he says.
I shovel his sidewalk. Luckily, there isn't much snow. As I walk to the next house, Diana comes out the door of her house.
"Are you shoveling snow?" she asks.
"Yeah. Your neighbor, there, gave me-"
"Wait, wait, let me guess... fifty dollars?"
"Yes! How'd you know?"
"He gave me fifty once for picking up his receipt for the grocery store when he dropped it."
"You're kidding!"
"Nope. True story."
I walk to the next door. A skinny woman opens the door. "Yes?"
"I'm shoveling snow for five dollars." I say in a businesslike manner.
"I'm sorry, dear, I can't afford that. I'm poor, you see, but I could pay twenty-five cents."
I take the money. After the woman closes the door, Diana shakes her head. "Mrs. Brown isn't poor. She's just really stingy. You have to keep bargaining with your customers so that you'll get a good price."
With Diana's supervision, I make one hundred and fifty-three dollars and twenty-five cents. I offer half to Diana, but she, as usual, refuses.
At home, I place the money in my jar.