Mandy took a deep breath and knocked at the door. This was her first assignment as a member of the Senior Citizens’ Help Group. She had been told that Helen Bryant was ‘difficult’ but she felt she was equipped to deal with it. She had had a lot of unhappiness in her own life; she would understand.
After a few moments Helen Bryant opened the door. “Yes” she snapped.
“Hello”, Mandy smiled pleasantly. “Our secretary phoned you to say I was coming. I’m from the Senior Citizens’ Help Group”. She held up her identity card.
“Hm”, Helen snorted. “More like the Senile Citizens’ Help Group, that’s what they think of us”.
Still smiling, Mandy said, “Oh that’s not true. We really do want to give as much help and support as we can. By the way, my name is Mandy – and you are”?
“Miss Bryant” said Helen icily. “I suppose you’d better come in – although I don’t know what sort of help you can give me. I’m quite self-sufficient. And how do you juggle this bit of do-gooding with your own job”?
“This is my job”, Mandy answered.
“Oh no, not another one on benefits! You know I’ve worked hard all my life and I made sure I paid in for a good pension, and now that I have a good pension, I’m taxed on it to support people like you”.
Mandy’s eyes filled with tears, which she quickly blinked away. “Alright, I’m a recovering alcoholic; I’ve done some awful things – things I’m ashamed of. I neglected my little boy and he was taken away from me. I went to rehab and if I can stay clean for the next 9 months, I can have him back. Yes, I’m on benefits and this job was supposed to be good therapy for me”.
“So I see you’re not really concerned about old people” grumbled Helen. “Anyway, what’s your husband doing to help”?
“I’m not married. We were only together for a few months but as soon as he knew about the baby, he walked out”.
“Men!” exclaimed Helen scornfully. “I might have known. I was married once. We’d been going out for less than a year and he kept pushing me to get married. I was flattered I suppose. He kept saying the most important thing was love. Well he would, wouldn’t he. After all he didn’t earn much and I had a very comfortable income. Rather foolishly I agreed and so we were married. It lasted 6 months – then he disappeared and so did my bank balance”.
“I’m so sorry” said Mandy. “How terrible for you”.
“Well, unlike you,” Helen went on. “I pulled myself together. I worked hard and got back on my feet. My parents had brought me up to be strong and believe in myself. I’ve had men friends since then, don’t worry, but I’ve drawn the line at getting married. I’ve had a good life – I get a bit lonely sometimes, but I’m quite self-sufficient thank you”.
“I wish I’d had parents like that” said Mandy sadly. She paused, “Or even any parents at all. You see I was brought up in a children’s home. I don’t even know who my parents were. I hope you will let me come next week. It’s helped me somehow hearing about your life”.
“Well if you’re asking me to knock some sense into you, I can certainly do that” Helen retorted.
“Thank you”. Mandy sounded relieved. “I’ve got to go now, but I’ll see you next week”.
Helen sighed. “Oh all right”. But as she shut the door, she smiled.
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