7 December 2012
The Button Factory
The liquid plastic in the giant mixing bowl swirled and danced as the mixers spun it. The tiny spoons lowered and dipped into the bowl and hot creamy liquid flowed into them, they rose and poured the contents into little moulds. Each mould had a small bottle with a coloured liquid in above it, a few drops plopped into each mould, green, red and blue. The moulds moved along on a conveyor belt, through a big dryer that lightly dried them, so they were still bendy, and up right on the desk that Flo was waiting at. She picked up her paint brush and she painted each one with little spots on and left on the old newspaper to dry, then she sat down and closed her eyes. A sharp ring awoke her, the door flew open and in marched her Uncle. "Florence! What are you doing snoozing? I asked you paint the buttons and push the holes in the them with the metal pole. You have painted three buttons and haven't even pricked the holes!" Flo bit her lip and stood up flattening her dress. "I am very sorry Mr Brown , you see i was very tired, however i came in because i had no time to send round Ms Bunson to explain, and then i came in and i started but i was so terribly tired that i...." Mr Brown sighed. "Look, Florence, i can't pay you to work here if you are just getting in the way, you are losing me money!" Flo looked down and felt tears swell up in her eyes. The bell tinkled again. "Serve this customer, finish this pile of buttons" He nodded to the pile of buttons at the end of the conveyor belt. "Sweep the floor, then go home." And with that Uncle Thomas stormed into the factory. Mrs Gregor approached Flo. "Don't you worry about old Mr Brown, he'll get over it. Now, may i have a 10g bag of those lovely pink buttons with the blue stripes please Florence?" Flo nodded and picked herself up. "Here you are M'am, that'll be four farthings if you please..." Mrs Gregor found the money, smiled and left. Flo set to work on the buttons.
The Button Factory • Opuss № I