My Friend Rosey: Say a prayer for Rosey!

Thursday

Say a prayer for Rosey!

I saw my friend Rosey last Sunday. She told me she thought she’d picked up a disease of the feet! “Look” she said as she slipped off her Crocs. “I've got lots of big brown spots”.
I pointed out that the big brown spots formed perfect patterns and they bore a remarkable similarity to the circular cutouts on her Crocs. Then it dawned on her. “Sun tan?” she said.
“Yep” said I.

The reason I met her was to take her to church. I’m not a great churchgoer myself, but Rosey hasn't been for years, apart from when she has been with the children from her school for their carol services and things. I can’t remember if I told you, but the school where she works as a classroom assistant is a church run school. Normally to get a job there you need to be a regular at St Peters or another local church. Rosey is not! But Rosey’s parents are. They are pillars of the community and go to the church every Sunday. They also raise funds and are greatly valued by the Reverend ‘lets-pray’ Lester. Need I say more?

Well, this week she has to take a group of kids to communion as part of their RE studies. Normally this is the duty of head teacher Miss Grossman but she is indisposed. Rosey was worried that she wouldn't remember what to do, so I said I’d take her for a dummy run so to speak. Incidentally she got into a bit of trouble with Miss G after she told the kids during assembly she was taking them 'God bothering'!

Anyway, apart from sitting when others stood, and standing when other sat she did pretty well. At one point she nudged me in the ribs and pointed out on the service sheet that gluten free communion bread was available which for some reason tickled her. She then put her hand to her mouth and asked me in a hushed whisper what ‘Sanctified’ wine was; was it like Sancerre? I think she was joking but with Rosey you can never be sure. My biggest fear was that when we went forward to receive communion she would ask if they had any chardonnay! Happily she didn't.

Well, we got through it and as I write this she is at St Peters with her charges. I’ll call her later and see how it went.

The phenomenon that is Rosemary Anne Pinkerton!

She slithered feet first into an unsuspecting world on July the tenth 1979. Her parents, Anne and Rupert Pinkerton, were so proud of Rosey who was to be their only child and the apple of their eyes! A diminutive child with a mop of blonde hair, and blue eyes the size of saucers.

She grew up in the exclusive area of London that is Primrose Hill. She had a privileged upbringing and went to the finest schools money could provide including Roedean in Sussex. Unfortunately she was never particularly academic, and was a complete no-hoper at sports, but she stayed the course and emerged with a few basic qualifications and a bunch of like-minded friends.

University was not for her, so her parents insisted she got a job, the idea being that she would mix with young people from lower down the social scale and therefore have a better grounding in life. So she got a position as a helper in toddler's play group run in the stately home of her parent’s friend Lady Emilia Jameson. Each day she would welcome the children of the locally wealthy delivered in posh cars by their nannies.

After a while however, she decided to rebel and shocked her parents by taking a job as a cashier in a local supermarket. Mummy and Daddy decided it would be better to support her financially than suffer the indignity of having their daughter serve the great unwashed, and so she left. Until recently she helped out where she could in one of her father’s Mercedes dealerships, and enjoys the use of a rather snazzy two-seater job in the palest shade of lilac. Right now she's a teaching assistant in a local school.

She lives in a beautiful flat overlooking the sea in Eastbourne which she shares with two fluffy balls of white fur and whiskers answering to the names of Fuzzybutt and Scruff.

She’s very green minded and a bit of a vegetarian, but not all of the time! Her favourite charity is a child’s one and she goes to church if she wakes up in time on a Sunday morning.

Rosey doesn’t have a best friend. She prefers the company and security of a group. Everybody adores her, not just because of her scatty ways, but because she has the most generous and caring nature you will ever come across. She sees no bad in anyone nor anything, and that is why we try to protect her from those who might try to take advantage. Rosey has never had a proper boyfriend. She’s had a few on-off relationships, but even in her thirties she’s not ready to settle down.

Rosey does have down days, and it’s then she takes solace in the white wine. Not to extremes. It doesn’t take more than a couple of drinks to set her giggling and bring her back to her fun loving self again.

What will become of her? I don’t know. We don’t know. Even she doesn’t know! One thing’s for sure though. Whoever comes into contact with her will be blessed by her friendship and that is a gift no amount of money can buy.

Thursday

Say a prayer for Rosey!

Rosey's adventures - click on story to view

Rosey the book!