Ah, the tribe arrives! Eleanor Anderson nods toward the wandering figure. Another lover of fresh air and private gardens!
Youre terrible, Anderson, shakes her head Olivia Morgan.
Terrible? Im also kind! When I reach those acrobats, no propriety will stop me! Eleanor grins.
If we get there, nothing will hold us back! mutters Annette Edwards.
The approaching silhouette is met with silence.
Could you tell me where house seventeen is? asks the newcomer.
It isnt vital, replies Eleanor. Were all gathering in the eighth group. Better haul your cart of loot straight there!
Sorry, I have my own house, the lady says.
Were all homeowners here, grumbles Annette. Sit down, lets get acquainted!
Im Harriet Bennett, the newcomer introduces herself. But Id like to rest. Im tired from the walk.
Sit with us and youll rest enough, says Olivia.
Id rather go home and get ready for the evening, Harriet smiles.
Do you have cash on hand? Eleanor asks.
For what? I have a card! Harriet looks puzzled.
ATMs are everywhere now, Eleanor mutters, scooting over to make room on the bench. Sit already! At our age we shouldnt be tiring our legs.
Id just… go home, Harriet says shyly.
Sit! Olivia shouts, coughing. Weve run out of proper houses! I mean, the only dwellings left are these plywood boxes without electricity, water or heating. Right now, to survive we all live under one roof, keeping each other warm. When winter comes well hunker down together!
—
Elderly people living alone are prime targets for scammers. Theyve seen a lot of life, have plenty of experience, yet they still fall for tricks, lose money, flats, even their health.
What hurts most is when the victims are not only old but also solitary. If they lose everything, theres nowhere else to go. Their very lives become a question of time.
When volunteers from a charity called Hope Hands visit Harriet, she doesnt immediately accept every offer.
They propose many things. She gladly takes a grocery basket, but she refuses a livein carer and a visiting nurse.
I can still look after myself and get to the clinic on my own! she insists.
She also declines a flatrenovation scheme.
My neighbours helped me freshen up three years ago. I dont need a full overhaul. Im fine as I am, she says.
The suggestion to move her pension into a private bank that promises higher monthly payouts through shortterm bonds makes Harriet pause. She wants more, but the pamphlets confuse her, and the volunteers explanations only add to the fog.
Ill think about it, she replies.
The volunteers never pressure her. They simply keep offering ideas that might improve her life. When she declines, they stay friendly, smiling, and continue to suggest possibilities.
They never ask for money for the groceries, even though Harriet offers.
Really? Were a charity, we dont charge for food, the young men laugh.
Now they visit Harriet once a week. Their names are Victor and Ethan. Sometimes both arrive, sometimes just one. They bring food and propose various leisure activities, assistance, companionship.
Even though Harriet refuses most offers, they keep suggesting.
What if you need something later and feel shy about asking? Ethan asks. Weve had cases like that before!
Harriet enjoys their visits. Shes lived alone for twenty years since her husband died, with no children or close relatives. The volunteers arent just ticking a box for a social service; they talk about weather, memories, joys and sorrows, giving her a chance to open up.
One week Victor and Ethan arrive unusually excited.
Harriet, you keep turning down help, but we have an offer youll actually want! A big sponsor has come on board. Heres the deal! they exclaim.
They explain that a new cottage hamlet is being built just outside towna modest development of small, wellbuilt homes, not the flashy newage mansions. Each cottage has three bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and a tiny veranda, designed for singleperson comfortable living.
The site is in a highquality location: clean air, a nearby forest, a river, and a village with shops, a post office and a bank branch. Eventually the hamlet will have its own store, but first the houses go up.
Our sponsor is funding the whole settlement, Victor says, his voice shaking with enthusiasm. He probably gets tax breaks, so hes pouring money into charity. For us its a golden chance!
Whats the chance? Harriet asks.
We can move our beneficiaries there! Ethan blurts, grinning. Do you prefer the city grime and smog or fresh country air? Same thing, just a different backdrop.
Are you giving away houses? Harriet questions.
Unfortunately not, Victor sighs. Our sponsor isnt that generous.
It sounds like he wants something in return, Ethan mutters, a hint of annoyance. But at least it isnt a commercial price tag!
Our sponsor values a house at just £1,000, while our flat is worth about £3,000,000, Victor continues. Imagine you get a cottage for a pound and still keep two million pounds! You could live comfortably in your own home without dreaming of wealth.
Harriet asks for a moment to think, but they give her only a few minutes.
The settlement isnt endless, and the offer is brilliant. We want our clients to become owners of their own homes on such fairytale terms! Victor insists. Will there be another chance like this? I doubt it! Ethan nods in agreement.
Its complicated, Harriet admits. Wed have to sell the flat, arrange the house, move belongings
Lets do this, Victor leaps up. Ill fetch the brochures and photos from my car. While you look them over, Ill sort everything here so its as smooth as possible. No paperwork headaches, just one day to move.
The brochures are glossy, full of processed images and details. Harriet reads the text, while Victor shows her the real photos he took himself.
The advertising is one thing, but genuine photos are another, Victor says. We dont need fancy design tweaks. We stand for honesty.
The cottages look lovelysolid timber, with plastic windows. Not massive mansions, but cosy, just right for someone like Harriet.
Victor wipes his sweaty forehead and says, I was almost sent to every address, but well make this quick and tidy.
The plan is simple: a solicitor appears, draws up a general power of attorney allowing the agency to sell Harriets flat. The agency then issues a payment order for £3,000,000, which will be transferred to Harriets bank account. Meanwhile, the sponsor sends a payment request for £1,000 to be taken from Harriets account as the price of the cottage. All contracts are signed on the spot before the solicitor.
How does the money move? Harriet asks.
The order and request are the moneys path, Victor smiles. The bank decides when and how much to send. Some transfers take three days, but the existence of the documents means the deal is considered closed.
Harriet isnt familiar with such nuances.
When the agency pays you for the flat, the £1,000 for the cottage is debited from your account instantly. The remainder stays with you, and you become the owner of a new home! Victor explains.
What about my belongings? Harriet asks.
Youll pack what you need for the first day or two, and Ethan will transport the rest once we get a truck.
The next day Victor drives Harriet to the village at the edge of the new hamlet.
Id bring more, but Id get stuck on that narrow road, Victor apologizes. My car is only good for town lanes.
No problem, Harriet replies, smiling. Its close enough; Ill walk the rest.
Meeting the neighbours reveals a different reality.
—
This is all legal, Eleanor insists, her tone sour. The houses were bought for exactly the flats price.
But the houses arent quite as shown. The walls are two sheets of plywood, with a faux timber façade glued on. Electricity wont arrive until spring, water comes from a communal tank, and heating is electric.
Harriet feels a knot of disappointment.
There are sixteen of us now seventeen owners have gathered, Eleanor continues. What do we do? Pensions arrive on our cards, but we can only spend them in the village, and only if the card terminal worksits own whim decides. Theyve been unable to finish repairs for two weeks.
What now? Harriet asks naïvely.
Crawl slowly to the hospice, Annette replies. When the cold hits, well be stuck here forever.
Should we complain? File a claim? This is fraud! Harriet exclaims.
Smart one! Annette sneers. Weve already filed complaints. Everything was checked, all legal!
The notary signed? All good! Your seventeenth house is just down the left road! Eleanor adds.
Further questioning shows none of the elders have any relatives. They have nowhere else to go but to crawl to the hospice.
I wont go to the hospice! Harriet declares. Someone else whos worse off must help us!
Who would help? Eleanor doubts.
Shell share her grief! Harriet replies.
Varvara Illyana, a widowed mother of twin brothers, Colin and Toby, loved playing cops and robbers as a child and never stopped. Colin became a police officer; Toby turned to petty crime. Both still cared deeply for their mother, though their rivalry was fierceColin often tried to pin Toby down, but evidence was hard to gather. Hed arrest him a few times each month.
Through Varvara, Harriet asks the brothers to intervene.
We have everything in order! They signed everything! Victor and Ethan shout from the back of a policetype 4×4. You have no right!
Is that so? Colin asks, feigning surprise. Then lookIve lost the service vehicle to thieves! He smirks, turning away but staying in sight.
What say you, lads? Talk sense? Toby chuckles crookedly. I get youre targeting the elderly, they cant even give change! Shame on you!
Its all by the book! Victor declares. Youre acting badly!
Youll regret it when you explore the bottom of the local reservoir! Toby snarls. Shall we earn fame like the Ichthyandrians or return what was taken?
What was taken? Ethan asks.
Not stolen, earned honestly! Toby retorts, his face showing disgust.
Within a week all the elders return to their flats. Some lack furniture, but they manage together. The hamlet forged a strange bond among them. At least they are no longer completely alone, even if the circumstances were odd.
