Car 5

173
Mrs Delia Hendy

Outward appearance

Camilla Parker-Bowles? A white sporting jacket with a thick, accordion collar over a brown sweater and a white sailing shirt. White towelling trousers, thick-soled, clean trainers. Waterproof bag printed with bamboo imagery and a stamp "Forbidden Cargo". Stares shell-shocked at a form, then writes.

Inside information

A professional domestic carer, contracted to Lambeth Council. She visits the infirm, cleaning their flats and cooking them lunch. The Billericay Building Society has just found a new way to make her homeless.

In November she bid for a house that the Billericay had repossessed. She won the auction fair and square, for £34,000. Guess it wasn't enough. They exchanged contracts, and the Bill told her the completion date would be January 12th.

She went and sold her flat didn't she? Exchanged contracts. Then her solicitor got a letter saying the Billericay ("Feel Dicky with the Billericay") were pulling out of the deal.

Delia rang and the girl cheerfully admitted that they had reneged. She kept calling Delia Mrs Henry, despite being corrected. "It happens sometimes," the girl bubbled. "We will be paying you compensation for any inconvenience caused." Delia is now sleeping on a client's floor. You call that inconvenient?

What she is doing or thinking

The Bill has sent her a customer satisfaction questionnaire.

Does she like the decor of her local branch? How long does she have to wait in line? Do staff smile? She has responded positively to each question. There is no opportunity to do anything else.

Suddenly she writes at the bottom, "But I hate you."


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