Ah, the tribe has arrived! Eleanor Andrews nodded toward the lone figure stumbling down the lane. Another lover of fresh air and private gardens!
Youre wicked, Andrews, Olivia Mitchell shook her head.
Wicked? Im just being kind! Eleanor smirked. When I catch those acrobats, no propriety will hold me back.
If we get there, nothing will stop any of us! Anne Edwards growled.
The approaching silhouette was met with a heavy silence.
Excuse me, could you tell me where the seventeenth house is? the newcomer asked.
It doesnt matter, Eleanor replied. Were all gathering at the eighth. Better haul your cart of loot straight there!
Sorry, I have my own home, the lady said.
Were all homeowners here, Anne snapped. Sit down, lets get acquainted!
Victoria Clarke, the newcomer introduced herself. I could use a break. Im exhausted just getting here.
Then sit with us and youll rest, Olivia said.
Id rather be in my house, get ready for the night, Victoria replied with a smile.
Do you have any cash on you? Eleanor asked.
For what? I have a card, Victoria said, puzzled.
And the ATMs are all jammed up, Eleanor muttered, shifting to make room on the bench. Sit already! At our age we shouldnt be aching our legs.
Id prefer home, Victoria said shyly.
Sit! Olivia shouted, coughing. Weve run out of proper homes! I mean, there are only these flimsy wooden boxesno light, no water, no heating.
Now we all live under one roof just to survive, huddling together for warmth. When winter comes, well be crushed.
***
Elderly people living alone are prime targets for cons. Theyve seen a lot, theyve learned a lot, yet they still fall for tricks, lose money, apartments, even lives
Its especially cruel when the victims are not only old but solitary, with nowhere else to go if everything is taken away.
When a charity team visited Victoria, she didnt instantly accept every offer they made.
They offered many things. She accepted the food basket but flatout refused a livein carer and a visiting nurse.
I can still look after myself and get to the clinic on my own! she insisted.
She also declined a fullscale home renovation.
My neighbours helped me spruce up the décor a few years ago. I dont need a massive overhaul. Its fine as it is, she said.
She lingered over their suggestion to transfer her pension to a private bank that promised higher monthly payouts through shortterm deposits. The glossy brochures baffled her, and the youngsters explanations only tangled things further.
Alright, Ill think about it, Victoria murmured.
The volunteers never pressured her. They simply kept offering possibilities that might ease her retirement.
They never charged her for the groceries, even when she offered to pay.
Honestly, were a charitywhy would we take money? the volunteers laughed.
Thus they began visiting Victoria once a week. Their names were Adam and Ethan. Sometimes both came, sometimes just one. They delivered food and floated ideas for leisure, assistance, companionship.
Even though Victoria turned down everything, they kept suggesting.
What if you ever need something and feel embarrassed to ask? Ethan asked. Weve seen it happen before.
We respect our seniors modesty, but caring for them comes first.
Victoria welcomed the visits. She lived alone and missed company terribly. Her husband had passed twenty years ago; she had no children or relatives.
The volunteers werent just ticking a box. Their conversations ranged from practical needs to weather, memories, joys, and sorrowsalways ending with a heartfelt chat that lifted her spirits.
One day Adam and Ethan arrived unusually excited.
Victoria, you always refuse help, but we have an offer youll actually want! A big sponsor has come on boardlisten to this!
They explained that a new cottage development was being built just outside townno highrise blocks, just modest threebedroom homes with a kitchen, bathroom, and a small porch, designed for single occupancy.
The site promised clean air, nearby woods, a river, and a village shop, post office, and bank within walking distance. Eventually the settlement itself would have its own store.
Our sponsor is footing the whole thing, Adam blurted, enthusiasm spilling over. Hes probably getting a tax break, so hes pouring money into charity. This is our chance!
Whats the chance? Victoria asked.
Imagine moving our residents into actual houses! Instead of the grimy city, they could be breathing fresh country air. Doesnt that sound better?
Victoria raised an eyebrow. Youre giving away houses?
Unfortunately not free, Adam sighed. Our sponsor wants something in return, but it isnt commercial.
The sponsor wants just one pound for each house, Ethan added, grinning. Your flat is worth three million pounds, and he only asks for one! Think of the luck.
So she could have a cottage in the countryside and still retain two million pounds. With that, she could live comfortably in her own home.
Victoria asked for a moment to think, but the volunteers pressed for a quick decision.
The settlement isnt endless, and the offer is golden. We want our residents to own homes on these almost fairytale terms. Opportunities like this dont come often, Adam urged.
Its complicated, Victoria said. Selling a flat, arranging a house, moving my belongings
Lets make it simple, Adam leapt up. Ill fetch the brochures and photos from my car. While you look them over, Ill sort the paperwork here, so you wont have to juggle a million details.
The glossy pamphlets were striking: polished images of timber cottages with plasticframe windows. No massive mansionsjust cozy, manageable homes, exactly what Victoria found appealing.
Adam wiped sweat from his brow as he sat next to her. I was almost sent to every address in the county, but we can handle this cleanly and quickly.
The plan went like this: a solicitor would draft a general power of attorney for the agency to sell her flat. The agency would issue a payment order for three million pounds to be transferred to Victorias account. Meanwhile, the sponsor would issue a demand for one million pounds from her account as payment for the cottage. All contracts would be signed on the spot before the solicitor.
What about the money? Victoria asked.
The order and the demand are the money moving between accounts, Adam explained with a smile. The bank decides when and how much to send. Some transfers take three days, but the existence of those documents means the deal is considered closed.
Victoria hadnt known such nuances existed.
As soon as the agency pays you for the flat, one million will be deducted from your account for the cottage, and the remainder stays with you. Then youll be a homeowner, living in your new house!
What about my possessions? she queried.
You pack what you need for the first day or two, and Ethan will haul the rest once we get a truck.
The next morning Adam drove Victoria to the edge of the village where the settlement began.
Id bring you further, but my car cant handle that road, he apologized. Its only good for town streets.
Never mind, Victoria said, smiling. Its close enough, Ill walk.
Meeting the neighbours revealed a different reality.
***
Its all legal, Eleanor grumbled, the houses were bought for exactly the value of the flat.
But the cottages werent as shown. The walls were thin plywood, merely covered with faux timber panels. Electricity would arrive next spring, water from a communal tank, heating from electric panels.
The settlement has sixteen of us now seventeen owners, Eleanor continued. What to do? Were stuck.
Pensions were paid into bank accounts, but the village terminal often refused to work. Repairs had stalled for weeks.
What now? Victoria asked naively.
Crawl slowly to the village hall, Anne replied. When the cold hits, well be left here like ghosts.
You should complain! File a claim! This is fraud! Victoria snapped.
Smart one, Anne scoffed. You just arrived and start shouting? Weve filed complaints before; everything was deemed legal.
The notary had signed, the contracts were in order. Your seventeenth house is just down the lane, left side, Anne said.
Further questioning showed none of the elders had any family. They had nowhere else to go but to hunker down in the settlement.
I wont crawl to the hall! Victoria declared. Someone worse off than us should help.
Who would that be? Eleanor asked.
A fellow who shares our misery.
Varvara Illynn had two twin sons, Colin and Tommy. As children they loved playing cops and robbers. As adults, Colin became a police officer, Tommy a smalltime felon. Both still adored their mother, though Colin secretly wished to pin Tommy down, never quite finding enough evidence. He stopped him a few times a month.
Through Varvara, Victoria pleaded for the brothers to assist.
Weve signed everything cleanly! Adam and Ethan shouted from their battered policetype SUV. You have no right!
Is that so? Colin asked, feigning surprise. Then the perpetrators have stolen an official vehicle! He laughed, a hollow sound.
What, lads, you want to talk terms? Tommy said, crooked smile. I get it, youve targeted the oldcant even give us change! Shame on you!
Were following the law! Adam declared. Your actions are wrong!
Your law will drown you when you investigate the local reservoir! Tommy snarled. Well earn fame or retrieve whats rightfully ours?
No, what we earned honestly! Ethan interjected.
Within a week the elders returned to their flatssome empty of furniture, but they managed together. The settlement had bound them in an odd fellowship. At least they were no longer truly alone, even if the circumstances were strange.
