(aka Bike) Part 1590 by Angharad Copyright © 2011 Angharad
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The next day I received amongst the post a curious letter.
“Dear Advertiser,
I see you want housekeeper/nanny, I can do job, did do job in my own country. Can get referens if you want.
Plees give me intervue, you won’t regret.
Irena Popova.”
I showed it to Stella who looked at it for several minutes. “She’s not American is she?”
“I have no idea, why?”
“Her spelling is awful.”
“Her name looks more Russian.” I suggested.
“Not a mafia plant is it? As soon as we’re out they kidnap or murder our children?”
“She lives in Havant.”
“Well that should disqualify her.”
“I’ll give it a couple more days. So far I haven’t been deluged with applications. What about your friend?”
“Ex-colleague, I told her the ad was in the paper, if she doesn’t apply, that’s her lookout.”
Three days later I was feeling exhausted. Stella was too and I decided to phone Irena Popova–to at least have a look at her. She agreed to come the next day. I told Stella of the time and she was happy with it. I had to rush back from the school run with the girls and I asked them to give me feedback on what they thought of her.
She arrived promptly at four o’clock and Trish let her in and led her to the dining room where Stella and I were waiting. She wore a uniform for an old people’s home for which she apologised, but she had to rush off to as soon as we finished.
I heard Trish chatting with her as she led her through. She seemed to have struck up a quick rapport. “Do you know our cat is called Schrodinger?” she said to our visitor.
She laughed, “Is cat in box live or dead?”
“You’ve heard of Schrodinger?” said Trish with glee.
“Yes, I heard Schrodinger when in university,” she said with a lightness in her voice.
“You did quantum?”
“No, I biologist.”
“Oh,” Trish sighed, “Not another one. That’s my mummy with the light hair and the other one is my auntie Stella.”
“Thank you, young lady, I’m Irena; how you do?” she held out her hand to Trish who shook it gently and blushed.
“She’s a biologist, Mummy.”
“Please do sit down. Tea or coffee?” I offered our guest who took tea with milk–so much for Russian tea.
“You said you’ve done housekeeping and nannying before?”
“Yes, in Latvia–where I come from.”
“Yet you’re a biologist?”
“I study biological science in Riga.”
“And yet you’re looking for a job as a housekeeper?” I was intrigued.
“Latvia in EU, but degrees not seen as good as Oxford Cambridge, so no one want biologist, but they do want housekeeper.”
“Assuming we did offer you the job, because it involves children, I’d have to do a CRB check–I presume you had to have one for the residential home you work at now?”
“No, what is CRB?”
“Criminal Records Bureau. We ask them to check on you to make sure there is no record of you being involved with paedophiles or anything likely to be harmful to children.”
“I have to go–thank you for tea.” She rose to leave.
“Irena, please wait,” I asked and she stopped and turned.
“I have to go.”
“Why, what is on the police records?”
“I have to go.”
“It’s prostitution isn’t it?”
She stopped suddenly and said, “How you know?”
“Did you get arrested in a car park after two women rescued you?”
“How you know that?”
“Did you also receive a box of toiletries for the following Christmas?”
“Yes, how you know that?”
“I sent them.”
Stella looked as if she was having a stroke–“No,” she gasped.
“You rescue me?”
“I suspect the police rescued you. We sort of facilitated it, right Stella?”
“Bugger me,” said Stella who still looked in shock.
“I thank you for your kindness, but I must go now.”
“Irena, were you tricked into prostitution?”
She nodded and the tears began to flow, “I leave university an’ they tell me job for waitress/hostess in London–pay good money. They lie, but it too late. You save me, I thank you but must go now,” she wiped her face.
“Irena, how old are you?” I asked.
“Twenty two, why?”
“Is there anything else on your record we should know about like drugs or violence?”
“No, I victim–I done nothin’ wrong–they beat me an’ rape me and made me go with horrible men. I hate them.” The tears were back.
She turned to leave and I called again, “How much do they pay you at the home?”
“Six pound per hour.”
“And you have a home to run as well?”
“I live in bedsit–not nice but it do for now.”
“You don’t have a partner?”
“No longer, he go off with bimbo girl with bigger tits.” At this Stella snorted and Irena glared at her. “It not funny.”
“I think it was rather the way you said it than the act.”
“Okay, I say funny things in English.”
“Your English is fine. If I was to offer you the job, would you take it?”
“How much you pay?”
“I’d pay nine pounds an hour for a forty hour week, the hours have to flexible to fit in with the needs of the family. I also offer food and a room.”
Her face lit up, “Can I see room?”
Stella took her up and showed her the room which Caroline had used while I quickly called Jim. Stella took her time showing her the house and kitchen while Jim did a search on his networks. He came back to me in under ten minutes.
“Just a record for prostitution–it’s not really a conviction–she asked to stay in the UK and it was granted. She works in an old people’s home in Havant, has a degree in biological science from the University of Riga. Either she’s genuine or a very sophisticated plant.”
“How long would it take to find out the latter?”
“I can check with CIA and FBI, but that will take a few days.”
“Can you get a photo?”
“Yeah, got one here, will email it.”
“Thanks, Jim, send me the bill will you?”
“Yeah, usual terms, why are you interested?”
“I need a housekeeper, Jim, she’s the only applicant.”
“Oh–okay, I’ll get it started as fast as I can.”
“Good man.”
“Yeah, a real saint–that’s me, doesn’t compare to an angel though, does it?”
“Go and earn your fee.” I put the phone down and Stella came back with Irena. “So what d’you think?” I asked her.
“Lady Stella show me the babies–they lovely girls, you house is nice.”
“If I offer you the job, it would be provisional on the CRB check and the taking of references. Would you be interested were I to offer it?”
“I be stupid not to.”
“How much notice do you have to give?”
“Two weeks.”
“Okay, depending upon the outcome of your references and the CRB check, I’m offering you a job as a housekeeper cum nanny. I’d like you to start in one month’s time, the job is live in as I described, the average week is forty hours, but we might require flexibility on that. If you work over that I’ll either pay you overtime or give you time in lieu.” I handed her a job description and the terms and conditions.
“You pay pension too?” She asked looking at the paper.
“Yes.”
“Can I go and think about it, it seem too good to be true.”
“How long will you need?”
“I call you tomorrow. I like to talk with my mother in Riga, she give me good advice–she tell me don’t go to London. I wish I listen to her–but that long time ago. Jobs in Riga not good. I say yes unless mother say not to.”
“Sounds good to me.” We shook hands and I gave her a lift to Havant, with Trish sitting in on the ride. On the way back I asked Trish what she thought. “Apart from being a biologist, she’s okay. Can she cook?”
“I didn’t ask her, but I’m sure she’ll learn–oh and there’s nothing wrong with being a biologist.”
“Unless you like physics, Quantum rules–yay.”
I just shook my head, if she’s like this at seven, what the hell is she going to be like at seventeen? Oh boy.
Comments
A foil for Trish?
Assuming everything here is at face value, Irena would likely be a good fit for the family. She'd even be able to stay in sight of Trish's mind most of the time, which would help with Trish's mental development.
Thanks for the continuation.
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1590
Things are getting VERY interesting.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
"may you live in interesting times"
So what episode did the rescue happen in? A long time ago....
Is Cathy's kindness about to pay dividends? I can see her taking this young woman under her wing academically too. Good way to lose a housekeeper.
Episode 208, 16th Feb 2008
From the Summaries (also available here): Cathy and Stella attempt to go shopping but end up fighting two men using standover tactics (Stella: kickboxing, Cathy: Bristolian Street Fighting) on a Russian woman.
And from the episode itself (set on 20th December 2007):
Interestingly, the very next episode, set later in the day, was the first encounter with a young girl by the name of Jemima...
There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Thanks for the Info
I sort of remembered the event and wondered about the detail.
Bugger me indeed
You have a loopy mind Ang... in a nice way. But... a month, will anyone be left standing?
k
I hope she knows what she is doing
... and not Russian into anything ( yes, yes I know she is not Russian, supposedly. ) Cathy should have sent fingerprints too, frankly.
Kim
Irena
Darn it, sis, you didn't say what she looks like! I've become friendly with a half-dozen or so girls from the former USSR and to a girl, they are attractive as well as being nice people.
Sadly, there are a number of girls like Irena that are lured to the U.S. under the same false pretenses. It really pisses me off that these victims are normally treated as criminals along with their brutal masters. It really upsets me that slavery is so rampant in the world. If there really is a hell, it will be quite full of people who allow, ignore, or facilitate activity such as this.
Karen J.
* * *
I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. - Winston Churchill
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
I've known a...
I've known a few (emphasis on few) Latvians... One had an accent about as strong as pictured. The other (yea okay, only two) had very little accent.
Fascinating situation/potential here. I look forward to seeing how you develop things. I do wonder if the word is getting out about the "challenges" inherent in working in Cathy's household... :-)
Thank you,
Anne
Yay Trish!
Why go for the soft sciences when you can learn Physics or Quantum Mechanics? lol
(By the way, I'm watching some recorded lectures. Chaos theory is interesting and mind-expanding. Quantum theory is downright strange.)
I used to be so naiive
I thought that 'Quantum' was either a make of bike or an Australian airline.
S.
You mean...
...it isn't? Or is some sort of jumping sport a la Quantum Leap?
Angharad
Angharad
Coulda fooled me...
And I took several courses in Quantum Mechanics for my degree. Oy. They didn't like me! Guess I shoulda been an English Lit or History major.
Anne
Hopefully Jim will
not find out anything bad about Irena, With her experience of life in the UK so far she deserves the chance to see we can be nice over here.... Honestly we can !!
Kirri
PS
Just in case Erin's Dark Wednesday is a full day affair , Can i say i really enjoyed tonights EAFOAB..... (Just in case i can't comment tomorrow :)) Because i know i will...
Up to date.
And up to scratch.
This sounds like an interesting avenue. I wonder how an east European might react to the discovery of the transgendered members of the family. They are still a bit behind western Europe when it comes to gender issues.
Lots of scope for interesting developments here.
Good chapter Angie,
Love and hugs.
Bev.
OXOXOX
Growing Old Disgracefully
Irena sounds like a good person,
I hope she can make it. Jenny will eventually be coming back, somehow I suspect hanging around Cathy and her brood she will recover more than doctors ever thought possible.