The following Monday, Carly turned up at The Chocolate Pot shortly before 7 p.m. to help me get ready for the extra Bay Trade meeting. I’d had several emails of support about the proposed further education mentoring programme and had six confirmed attendees, including Carly. I was therefore thrilled when eight had turned up by half past.
Carly and I had rearranged the tables on the ground floor to make one long table and I’d borrowed a flipchart and stand from the library so I could write down ideas for everyone to see. When they were all settled with drinks and tucking into brownies, I stood up.
‘Good evening everyone and thank you so much to you all for coming out on such a cold night to discuss my proposal. Tonight is just an opportunity to get together and throw a few ideas around. There’s no obligation to commit to the project. Although if anyone decides it’s not for them, then I’ll give you a bill for the drinks and brownies and never speak to you again.’
Ginny from The Wedding Emporium next door quickly dropped her brownie on her plate and joked about me only being able to charge her for half.
‘Seriously, though, I want this to be fun and informal. I want everyone to feel they can share ideas and be involved in a way that works for them. If you decide it’s not for you, then I completely understand. We’ve all got so much to do running our own businesses that it’s amazing so many of you are here to explore this.’
I took a deep breath and looked to Carly for encouragement. She smiled and nodded eagerly, knowing what was coming next.
‘I’m really keen to hear your suggestions but there’s one key decision I’ve made already and that’s the name of the project. I’d like you to chat among yourselves for a couple of minutes. I need to introduce you to someone very important. Back shortly.’
Smiling at the intrigued expressions on the group’s faces, I ran upstairs, returning a couple of minutes later with Hercules in my arms. Gasps and squeals of delight came from the group as they spotted him.
‘This is Hercules, my Flemish Giant house rabbit. He’s two years old and he loves cuddles.’
‘Can I hold him?’ asked Sarah from Seaside Blooms.
‘You certainly can.’ I secured Hercules in Sarah’s arms and he looked very content as several hands reached out and stroked him.
I returned to the flipchart and addressed the group. ‘You might be wondering what a giant house rabbit has to do with anything but I brought him down because he’s the inspiration for the name of the project.’ I turned over the flipchart cover to reveal a fresh page containing the project name. ‘Welcome to Project Hercules. The name means strength and power and the vision for this project is to share our knowledge and experiences with students who might like to set up their own business. Knowledge is power and mentoring will give them strength. How we do this is what we’re here to discuss tonight but I hope you all like the name.’
As a round of applause rippled round the room accompanied by cries of, ‘Love it’, I had to swallow the lump in my throat. I was so relieved. Hercules brought me strength. He and his predecessors had provided me with much-needed company over the years and their unconditional love had given me the strength to keep going and face each day.
After we closed The Chocolate Pot for the day on Tuesday, I said I had something to show the team and dashed upstairs. The look of astonishment on their faces when I appeared with a giant house bunny would stay with me forever.
Word spread and I had to bring him down on Wednesday too to introduce him to those who hadn’t been working on Tuesday. And again on Thursday.
Watching them coo and stroke him, it seemed quite ridiculous that I’d ever kept him secret. After all, he had no connection to my past whatsoever. Nobody was going to look at him and suddenly guess everything that I’d kept so well hidden.