Thursday 1 June 2017

Four Conversations

For audio click here 
“I’m sorry Mrs…” the man across the desk from Anna looked down at his notes. “Sousa, but you’re not entitled to any benefits. You’ll need to get a job like the rest of us.”
“How is that possible?” Anna said.
“Please don’t shout Mrs. Sousa, or I’ll ask security to escort you off the premises.”
Anna looked around and saw the burly guard with the automatic weapon slung across his chest.
“How am I not entitled to any benefits? I’m a British citizen, I’ve paid my taxes and my NI.”
“It’s all in the new regulations spelt out in this leaflet. You can appeal, but you shouldn’t get your hopes up.”
“But my daughter is just two months old.” 
“Not my problem.”
‘How am I supposed to care for her if I am in work? How am I supposed to pay my mortgage?”
“As I said Mrs. Sousa, not my problem. Now I’ve got other appointments. If you don’t mind…” The man put his arm out and pointed at the door. Anna sat there for a moment and then stood up and made her way out of the social security office, clutching little Amy to her chest.
“We'll be okay,” she said to her daughter who gurgled back at her. “We'll be okay.” 

Anna sat in the stuffy office watching the bank worker tapping away at his keyboard. Eventually, he stopped and looked at her. 
“It seems,” he said, “that your account has been frozen.”
“Frozen? Why?” Amy gurgled in Anna’s arms. 
“Foreign Nationals Act 2019. The bank official said. The government retains the rights to freeze the assets of all foreign nationals.”
“But I’m a British citizen.”
“Joint bank account with your husband, Mrs. Sousa, who, it says here, was from Portugal.”
“Is from Portugal.”
“As you wish.” 
“What am I supposed to do?” 
“Not my problem I'm afraid,” the banker said. 
Anna stood up and made her way out of the bank, clutching little Amy to her chest.
“We'll be okay,” she said to her daughter who gurgled back at her. “We'll be okay. “

“Do you live here?” The man in a shabby suit asked Anna. She looked at the two goons with automatic machine guns stood next to him. 
“Yes,” Anna said, “why?”
“We're from the border and immigration police, we are taking possession of this house.” he handed Anna an eviction notice.  
“Why?”
“The name on the deed is a foreign national. Foreign Nationals Act 2019,” the man said. “The government retains the rights to freeze the assets of....”
“All foreign nationals,” Anna completed the sentence for him.
“That’s right.” the man beamed.  
“But You can't do that, my name is on the lease too.”
“Not my problem.” 
“Where am I going to sleep?”
The man shrugged his shoulders. 
“Don't tell me, not your problem.” 
Anna sat on the step of her ex-house clutching little Amy to her chest.
“We'll be okay,” she said to her daughter who gurgled back at her. “We'll be okay. “

.
“What do you want?”
“I need somewhere to stay.” 
“Well, you can't stay here?”
“Lou, I'm your sister, I haven’t got anywhere else to go, just a couple of nights. Please.”  Anna told her sister the story. 
“Look, you can’t stay here, you know Andy’s going for promotion. If he’s caught harbouring the wife of a foreign national.”
“Lou please.” 
“Look you married him, you take the consequences. Poor Andy had already had to go through the wringer because of you.” 
“Where am I going to stay?”
“Not my problem,” Lou said. “Here take this and go.” Lou fished forty pounds out of her bag, thrust it in her sister’s hand and shut the door. 
Anna walked away clutching little Amy to her chest.
“We'll be okay,” she said to her daughter who gurgled back at her. “We'll be okay. “

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