Ah, the tribe has arrived! Eleanor Anderson nodded toward the lone figure shuffling down the lane. Another lover of fresh air and private gardens, I see!
Youre being harsh, Anderson, Olivia Mitchell shook her head.
Harsh? Im just being honest, Eleanor chuckled. Ill go after those acrobats, and then no decorum will hold me back!
If we get there, nothing will stop us, muttered Anne Edwards, her tone low.
The approaching silhouette was met with a hush.
Excuse me, could you point me to the seventeenth house? asked the newcomer.
Not really, Eleanor replied. Were all gathering in the eighth plot. Better haul your cart of loot straight there!
Sorry, I have my own home, the lady said.
Were all homeowners here, Anne growled. Sit down, lets get acquainted!
Im Victoria Ellis, the newest arrived, introducing herself. Id like a rest. Im exhausted from the walk.
Sit with us and youll get a proper rest, Olivia said.
Id rather go back to my house to get ready for the night, Victoria smiled.
Do you have any cash on you? Eleanor asked.
Why would I need that? Victoria was taken aback. I have a card!
And the street is full of cash machines, Eleanor muttered, sliding over to make room on the bench. Sit already! Were not getting any younger, are we?
Id just like to Victoria blushed, go home.
Sit! Olivia shouted, coughing. Weve run out of proper houses! I mean, there are no decent homes leftjust these flimsy tin shacks without electricity, water or heating. Right now were all crammed into one building, keeping each other warm. When winter comes well all freeze together!
—
Elderly single folks are prime targets for swindlers. Theyve lived long enough to know a thing or two, yet sometimes they fall for tricks, lose money, flats, even their lives. It hurts most when the victims are not only old but also alonewhen they have nowhere else to turn.
When a charity team visited Victoria, she didnt leap at every offer they made.
They offered a lot: a food basket she accepted, but she turned down a livein carer and a visiting nurse.
I can still manage myself and get to the clinic on my own! she declared.
She also refused a fullscale home renovation. Three years ago my neighbours helped spruce up the decor. I dont need a massive overhaul. Its fine as it is.
She pondered their suggestion to move her pension into a private bank that promised shortterm deposits to boost her monthly payout. She couldnt make head nor tail of the pamphlets, and the young volunteers explanations only tangled her further.
Well, Ill think about it, Victoria said.
The volunteers never pressed, never begged, just kept suggesting possibilities that might ease her golden years. They never asked for money for the groceries, even when she offered.
Really, you cant be serious! the lads laughed. What kind of charity would we be if we took cash?
Thus, Vadim and Ethan started visiting Victoria once a week. Sometimes both turned up, sometimes just one. They delivered groceries and floated ideas for leisure, assistance, companionship. Even when Victoria rebuffed every suggestion, they kept proposing.
What if you need something later and feel shy about asking? Ethan asked. Weve had cases like that before! We value our elders modesty, but our care comes first!
Victoria welcomed the visits. She lived alone and missed company. Her husband had passed twenty years ago; they never had children, and she had no relatives.
The young men didnt treat her like a case file. Their chats covered weather, memories, joys and sorrows, not just needs. Once a week, a good conversation was a balm for the soul.
One day Vadim and Ethan arrived especially animated.
Victoria, you keep turning down help, but weve got a proposal you cant refuse! A generous sponsor has come on board, Vadim announced, excitement spilling over. Theres a new cottage development outside townno fancy highrise blocks, just modest homes.
He explained that the settlement would consist of threebedroom houses with a kitchen, bathroom and a small porchessentially a cosy singleperson dwelling. The site promised clean air, a nearby forest, a river, and a village with a shop, post office and a bank branch. Eventually the village would get its own store, but first the houses would go up.
Our sponsor is funding the whole thing, Vadim kept going, breathless. He probably gets a tax break, so hes putting money into charity. This is a chance for us!
Whats the catch? Victoria asked.
Ethan grinned. We could move our residents there! From the grime and smog of the city to fresh country air. Do you see the difference?
Are you giving away houses? Victoria was skeptical.
Unfortunately not, Vadim sighed. Our sponsor isnt that generous.
Its clear he wants something in return, Ethan muttered, annoyed. But at least its not a commercial price tag.
Our sponsor values the properties at £1million, but hell take just £10000 for a cottage, Vadim said. That means you could keep two million pounds of your own money and still get a brandnew home. Imagine living comfortably in your own place with that kind of cash left over!
Victoria wanted a moment to think, but the volunteers gave her only a few seconds.
The settlement isnt endless, and the offer is solid. Were keen to see our residents become homeowners under these fairytale terms, Vadim declared. I doubt well see another opportunity like this.
It sounds complicated, Victoria replied. Wed have to sell the flat, arrange the house, move all our belongings.
Give me a minute, Vadim leapt up. Ill fetch the brochures and photos from the car. While you look them over, Ill sort out the paperwork here, so you wont be left juggling details.
The leaflets were glossy, packed with polished photos and plenty of information. Victoria read the text, while Vadim handed her the printed pictures hed taken himself.
I photographed them myself! Advertising is one thing, but real shots are another. No need for fancy design tweakswere about honesty and fairness, he said proudly.
The houses looked splendidlog cabins with plastic windows. They werent massive mansions, just tidy, snug dwellings, which suited Victoria perfectly.
Victoria, Vadim wiped the sweat from his brow, I was nearly sent to every address in the county, but we can pull this off quickly and neatly.
The plan was simple: a solicitor would draft a power of attorney for the estate agency to sell her flat. The agency would issue a £30000 payment order to Victorias account. Meanwhile, the sponsor would send a £10000 request to be deducted from Victorias account as payment for the cottage. All contracts would be signed on the spot before the notary.
How does the money move? Victoria asked.
The payment order and the request are the moneys path, Vadim explained with a grin. The bank decides when and where to transfer the funds. Some transfers take three days, but the existence of the orders means the deal is considered closed.
Victoria hadnt known such details.
As soon as the agency transfers the sale proceeds, the £10000 for the cottage will be taken from your account. The remainder stays with you, and youll own the new home outright! Vadim said.
What about my possessions? she queried.
Youll pack what you need for the first couple of days, and Ethan will help haul the rest once we get a truck.
The next morning Vadim drove Victoria to the village that marked the edge of the development.
Id go on, but my car would get stuck on that narrow lane, he apologized. Its a city car, not a country one.
No worries, Victoria laughed. Its close enough for a walk.
Meeting the neighbours revealed a different picture.
—
Everythings legal, Eleanor grumbled, the houses were bought at the flats price.
But the homes werent exactly as depicted. The walls were thin plywood, merely covered with a fakelog façade. Electricity wouldnt arrive until spring, water came from a communal tank, and heating would rely on electric panels.
Victoria fell silent.
There are sixteen of us here now seventeen homeowners, Eleanor continued. What to do? Pensions are paid into cards, but you can only spend them in the village, and only if the terminal works. Thats at the operators whim. Theyve been unable to fix it for two weeks.
What now? Victoria asked, naïve.
Crawl slowly towards the next stop, Anne replied. When the cold hits, well be stuck here forever.
You should lodge a complaint! File a claim! This is fraud! Victoria exclaimed.
Smart one! Anne sneered. Just show up and start shouting! Weve already filed complaints. Everythings above board!
They pointed to a sign: Your seventeenth house lies further down the lane, on the left.
Further questioning showed none of the elders had any relatives; they had nowhere else to go. Their only option was to limp on to the next shelter.
I wont crawl to a shelter! Victoria declared. We need someone worse off than us to help!
Who would that be? Eleanor asked, doubtful.
Someone who shares our grief, Victoria replied.
Old Mrs. Barbra Illyngton had two twin sons, Colin and Tony. As children they loved playing cops and robbers. As adults, Colin became a police officer, Tony a smalltime crook. Both still adored their mother, though Colin secretly wished to see his brother behind bars, yet evidence was always elusive. Colin arrested Tony a few times each month.
Through Barbra, Victoria asked the brothers to lend a hand.
This is all above board! They signed everything themselves! Vadim and Ethan shouted from their policetype SUV. You have no right!
Is that so? Colin asked, feigning shock. Then let me tell you, the thieves stole my service vehicle!
What now, lads? Talk terms? Tony replied with a crooked grin. I get it, youve targeted the old folk! They cant even spare change! Shame on you!
Our side follows the law! Vadim declared. Youre acting badly!
Youll regret it when you explore the bottom of the local reservoir! Tony snarled. Well earn fame or return what weve earned honestly, he added.
Ethan shouted, No, not stolen, but honestly earned! The brothers looked disgusted.
Within a week the elders returned to their flats. Some furniture went missing, but they managed together. The settlement forged a strange camaraderie; no one was truly alone, even if the circumstances were odd.
