Get Out of My Flat! – the Words of a Mother “Get out,” Mum said calmly. Arina smirked and leaned back on her chair—she was sure Mum was talking to her friend. “Get out of my flat!” Natasha turned to her daughter. “Lenka, have you seen the post?”—her friend practically burst into the kitchen, still in her coat. “Arisha’s had her baby! Three and a half kilos, fifty-two centimetres. A spitting image of his dad, same button nose. I’ve already hit every shop in town, bought loads of little outfits. What’s got you so gloomy?” “Congratulations, Natasha. I’m glad for you,” Lena stood up to pour her friend a cuppa. “Sit down, at least take your coat off.” “Oh, I haven’t got the time to sit,” Natasha perched on the edge of a chair. “So much to do, so much to do. Arinka is amazing, does everything herself, never asks for help. Her husband’s a treasure, they’ve even got their own place on a mortgage, finishing off the renovation. I’m so proud of my girl—raised her right!” Lena silently placed the mug in front of her friend. Sure, raised her right… If only Natasha knew… * Exactly two years ago, Natasha’s daughter Arina had shown up unannounced, her eyes swollen with tears, her hands shaking. “Auntie Len, please… Just don’t tell Mum. I’m begging you! If she finds out, she’ll have a heart attack,” Arina sobbed, twisting a damp tissue in her hands. “Arina, calm down. Tell me properly, what happened?” Lena was genuinely frightened. “I… I was at work…” Arina hiccupped. “Money went missing from a colleague’s bag. Fifty thousand.” And the security cameras caught me going into the office when nobody else was there. But I didn’t take anything, Auntie Len! I swear! But they said: either I return the fifty thousand by lunch tomorrow, or they go to the police. They even claim there’s a ‘witness’ who saw me hide the wallet. It’s a set-up, Auntie Len! But who would believe me? “Fifty thousand?” Lena frowned. “Why haven’t you gone to your dad?” “I tried!” Arina broke into fresh tears. “He said it’s my own fault and he wouldn’t give me a penny—called me useless, told me to go to the police and learn a lesson. He wouldn’t even let me in, just shouted through the door. I’ve nowhere else to go. I’ve got twenty thousand saved. I’m thirty short.” “And your Mum? Why not tell her? She’s your Mum.” “No! Mum would kill me. She already says I’m an embarrassment, and now this… She works at the school. Everyone knows her. Please, lend me the thirty grand? I swear I’ll pay you back in two or three thousand a week. I’ve already found another job! Please, Auntie Len!” Lena’s heart broke for her. Twenty years old—life only just beginning, and already tainted. Dad refused to help, Mum would quite literally rip her head off… “Who hasn’t made a mistake?” Lena thought. Arina wouldn’t stop crying. “Alright,” Lena said quietly. “I’ve got the money. Was saving for dental work, but my teeth will have to wait.” Just promise me—this is the last time. And I won’t tell your Mum, if that’s what you want.” “Thank you! Thank you, Auntie Len! You’ve saved my life!” Arina flung her arms around Lena. The first week, Arina really did bring two thousand. Turned up smiling, said it was all sorted—the police weren’t involved, new job going well. Then… she just stopped replying to messages. Month after month. Lena only saw her at Natasha’s birthday dos, but Arina acted like they were strangers—a cold “hello” and nothing more. Lena didn’t press. She thought: “She’s young, probably embarrassed, that’s all.” She decided that thirty thousand wasn’t worth harming years of friendship with Natasha. She wrote it off and forgot about it. * “Are you even listening to me?” Natasha waved her hand in front of Lena. “What are you thinking about?” “Oh, nothing,” Lena shook her head. “Just the usual.” “Listen,” Natasha lowered her voice. “I saw Ksenia, you know, our old neighbour? She came up to me at the shops yesterday. Odd sort. Started asking about Arisha, how she was, whether she’d paid back her debts. I couldn’t work it out. I told her Arinka’s independent, works for herself. Ksenia gave me a weird look and walked off. You don’t know, did Arisha ever borrow from her?” Lena felt something tighten inside. “No idea, Natasha. Maybe just a few quid.” “Alright, I’d best be off. Need to pop in the chemist,” Natasha got up, kissed Lena on the cheek, and flounced out. That evening, Lena caved. She tracked down Ksenia’s number and rang her. “Ksyusha, hi. It’s Lena. Did you see Natasha today? What debts were you talking about?” A heavy sigh came down the line. “Oh, Lenka… I thought you’d know. You’re closer to them than any of us. Two years ago, Arinka came to me in a state—crying her eyes out. Said she’d been accused of theft at work. She said, either she finds thirty grand, or it’s jail. Begged me not to tell her mum, sobbed endlessly. Idiot that I am, I gave her the money. Promised she’d pay it back in a month. Then disappeared… Lena gripped her phone. “Thirty thousand?” she asked. “Exactly thirty?” “Yep. Said that’s what she needed. Ended up giving me five hundred back, half a year later, then vanished. I found out afterwards from Vera in the next block—Arina spun her the same story. Vera gave her forty thousand. And Galina Petrovna, their old teacher, ‘helped’ Arisha out of prison too. She lent her fifty.” “Wait—” Lena slumped onto the sofa. “Are you saying… She pulled the same trick on all of us? The same story?” “Looks like it,” Ksenia’s voice hardened. “She just went round collecting ‘taxes’ from all Natasha’s friends. Thirty, forty thousand from each. Story about the theft was a lie, she played on our sympathy. We all love Natasha, so we kept quiet, didn’t want to upset her. Arina probably blew it all. Month later, she was posting pictures on holiday in Turkey.” “I gave her thirty grand too,” Lena said quietly. “Well, there you go,” Ksenia snapped. “We’re up to five or six of us. That’s not a mistake—that’s a scam, Lena. That’s not ‘youthful error’, that’s proper fraud. And Natasha has no idea. Goes around proud of her ‘angel’. But her daughter’s a thief!” Lena hung up. Her ears were ringing. She wasn’t sorry about the money—she’d written it off long ago. She felt sick at how cold and shameless a twenty-year-old could be, stringing along adult women, taking advantage of their kindness. * Next day, Lena headed to Natasha’s. She didn’t plan a row, just wanted to see Arina’s face. Arina had just come home from the hospital, and while her own mortgage flat was being fitted out she was staying with her mother. “Oh, Auntie Lena!” Arina gave a tight smile as she spotted her. “Come in. Tea?” Natasha bustled at the stove. “Ah, Lenny, sit down. Why didn’t you call first?” Lena sat across from Arina at the table. “Arin,” she began gently. “I bumped into Ksenia. And Vera. And Galina Petrovna. We had a long chat last night. Set up a little ‘victims’ support group’, you could say.” Arina froze, paled, and cast a quick glance at her mother’s back. “What are you on about, Lena?” Natasha turned. “Arina knows very well,” Lena stared the girl straight in the eye. “Remember, Arisha, that unpleasant business two years back? You begged me for thirty grand? You got thirty from Ksenia, forty from Vera, fifty from Galina Petrovna. We all thought we were the only ones saving you from prison. The kettle in Natasha’s hand shook, boiling water spilling and hissing on the hob. “What fifty thousand?” Natasha set the kettle down slowly. “Arina? What’s she talking about? Did you borrow from my friends… even Galina Petrovna?!” “Mum… it’s not that… I… I paid them back… almost…,” Arina began to stammer. “You repaid nothing, Arina,” Lena cut in. “You gave me two grand for show, then vanished. You fleeced us for nearly two hundred thousand, spinning a made-up tale. We kept silent out of kindness to your Mum. But last night I realised, it was us who really deserved the sympathy.” “Arina, look at me. You conned my friends out of their savings? You made up a theft to rob everyone who visits me?” “Mum, I needed money for the move! You wouldn’t give me anything! Dad wouldn’t spare a penny, and I had to start my own life! So what? They’ve got plenty—wasn’t the last of their money!” Lena’s stomach churned. So that was it… “Right. Natasha, I’m sorry for dumping this on you now, but I can’t keep quiet. I don’t want to reward this kind of thing. She’s been treating us all like fools!” Natasha stood there, gripping the table, her shoulders shaking. “Get out,” she said, calm as ever. Arina smirked, leaning back—she thought the order was for Lena. “Get out of my flat!” Natasha turned to her daughter. “Pack your things and go to your husband. I don’t want to see you here ever again!” Arina went grey. “Mum, I’ve got a baby! You can’t do this—I’m not supposed to get stressed!” “You don’t have a mother, Arina. My daughter was honest. You’re a thief. Galina Petrovna… my God, she called me every day, asked after you, said nothing… How am I supposed to face her now?!” Arina grabbed her bag, threw a towel on the floor. “Go choke on your money!” she spat. “A pair of old bats! Go to hell, both of you!” She bundled her baby into the crib and stormed out of the flat. Natasha slumped into a chair, covering her face. Lena felt ashamed. “I’m sorry, Natasha…” “No, Lenny. Forgive me. For raising… someone like that. I really did believe she’d made it on her own… God, what a disgrace…” Lena patted her friend’s shoulder as Natasha broke down. * A week later, Arina’s husband, gaunt and ashen, went round to every “creditor”, apologising and promising to repay every penny. And sure enough, payments began—Natasha herself paid Galina Petrovna her fifty thousand to spare her daughter further humiliation. Lena never blamed herself. A con artist deserves consequences, don’t they?