A Helping Hand

1.


Beryl made her way to her daughter’s house, a casserole dish in her arms. She entered via the rear door, which led into the kitchen. As she ventured inside, the usual scene confronted her. Carnage!

An unscalable mountain of fetid laundry stood in the corner of the kitchen, snow at its peak; washing-up sat piled high in the sink; and the cat's tray was overflowing and reeking of ammonia. No doubt she'd be attending to that too. A unique duty, she thought. The opposite of panning for gold.

She made her way into the living room, carrying two plates of dinner. One for her daughter, Gemma; the other for her son-in-law, Leroy. Gemma was wearing a red onesie that made her look like a jelly; Leroy looked like a sausage that’d gone wrong on a production line. She handed them a plate each, then joined them in front of the TV. The corner of the room was still damp from where their fish tank had inexplicably keeled over and shattered. She’d made them clear the fragments of glass for their baby’s sake, but the frame had remained in situ. As for the fish, who knew? But their fat tabby, Ed, was keeping shtum. As for baby Liam, he was fending for himself on the living room carpet – naked except for a nappy, which needed changing urgently. But his parents were yet to register. Flies buzzed listlessly overhead, as if Gemma and Leroy’s apathy had somehow spread zoologically to them. Beryl shook her head and turned her attention to the TV.

An advertisement for Serenity Inc. began. A man in a black suit filled the screen. “Is your quality of life less than it used to be? Troubled by ill health or unmanageable medical bills? Looking to escape financial difficulties? Or is this world simply no longer for you, yet you’re too afraid to take the plunge? Well, there’s no need to worry.”

The scene shifted to an operating theatre, where an elderly lady was lying on a table, nodding in hyperactive agreement with everything the man was saying. Beryl wondered if they’d put her on something.

“At Serenity Inc., we’re here to give you a helping hand. We offer the means to transition from this life safely and at a competitive price.” The man smiled with a vampiric flash of incisors.

As the advertisement drew to a close, Gemma and Leroy looked at her. She wondered what was going through their heads. Then, to her dismay, she realised what it was: expectation.

As the door closed behind her, Beryl fumbled on the step. Where had she put her keys? She then overheard Gemma and Leroy talking in the kitchen.

“Just think, if she popped off, we could make our dreams come true.”

“Yeah, we could clear all our debts.”

“We could go to Disneyland at last.”

“And get a new TV!”

Their ambition was boundless.

“I mean, she’s not been happy for ages, has she?”

“No, not for a long time.”

“What’s the point in her sticking around?”


2.


She dropped her keys, open-mouthed. The conniving little shits, she fumed. Wish I’d spat in that casserole now.

She staggered home. She felt like she'd been tasered. As she made her way, she reflected upon Serenity Inc. and how they’d gotten started. She remembered it all too clearly. She’d championed it at the time – the relaxation of the laws against assisted suicide. Her husband of 35 years had been suffering from an incurable illness that’d left him unable to move or speak. But he'd told her everything she’d needed to know with his eyes. He’d begged her to do it for years, but she’d been powerless to do so. The new laws had finally given her that power. Finally, she’d been able to free her husband from his misery. Yes, she’d welcomed the changes to the legislature back then. It had been a blessing. Both for her and for others like her.

But now the service was too freely available. If anything, it was over-advertised. There was good money to be made these days in state-endorsed genocide. It was also helping to bring the population down during a time of crippling austerity. Now anyone could take their own life at the drop of a hat, provided they were of sound mind and judgement. Many of her friends and neighbours had already done so – had felt obliged to do so, considering themselves burdens to their families. They’d embarked upon the programme simply to ease the strain on the household budget!

Now it was her turn in the firing line. Gemma and Leroy had their sights on her. But she didn’t want to die. Not yet. She was only 68, for Christ’s sake, and in relatively good shape, which couldn't be said of Gemma and Leroy, who were becoming increasingly blancmange-like. Was it so much to ask to be able to enjoy her modest retirement in peace? She didn’t think so. She’d earned it. Why did she have to kick the bucket just to fund their sluggish lifestyle?

"Lazy" was a four-page definition in Gemma and Leroy’s dictionary. Neither of them had ever had a job. Leroy’s days were spent in front of the TV, watching Sky Sports and scratching his nether regions; Gemma's were spent immersed in VR, getting lost in an infinite cosmos of bright lights, while her surroundings in the real world fell to rack and ruin. They never did any repairs as such, nor any basic household maintenance. Not even a smidge of cleaning, such was the extent of their inertia. Spraying a pair of dirty curtains with Febreze every now and then didn't count. They even considered it an imposition to flush the lavatory after use.

Beryl had raised the issue with them many times, had reminded them they had a child and needed to take responsibility for his sake. “What about the little things,” she’d say, “like changing a lightbulb or taking the bin out?”

“But those are boy’s jobs,” Gemma would warble in protest, looking accusingly in Leroy’s direction. “Besides, I do all the cooking,” she’d add, nodding in the direction of the microwave.

Beryl was opposed to the programme now. She objected to it with every fibre of her being. It had been hijacked by the younger generation. “Take, take, take” was their motto in life. And they never considered, even for a millisecond, the prospect of ever giving anything back. They saw their parents only in terms of how useful they could be to them. Even her own child saw her merely as a pile of loot ready for the taking.

She’d made a pact some time ago with her friend Pat – a pact against this silliness, this fanatical movement that was spreading like an infection. Or so she’d been led to believe. Pat, too, had snuck out one day and ended it all at one of their marble-white consultation centres. She’d left her a note telling her she was sorry, but she just couldn’t go on without her Jeff. Besides, she’d wanted to leave her children an early inheritance; otherwise, how on earth were they going to get on the property ladder?

Her circle of allies was rapidly diminishing, and all the while the ranks of syringe-toting adolescents in black were closing in. She was beginning to find herself somewhat besieged in her two-up, two-down in East Hackney.


3.


“Ooh, Mum, look what’s arrived in the post,” Gemma said, coming into Beryl’s kitchen with a leaflet from Serenity Inc.

This was a patent lie, of course. The postman had already been an hour ago. She’d been like this all week, leaving hints about the house – hints that had been about as subtle as a toasting fork up the nose. Crucifixes. Photos of deceased friends and relatives. Playing 'Stairway to Heaven' on a perpetual loop. She half expected to wake one night and find her in her room, dressed as the Grim Reaper.

She’d been impossible to get rid of this week. A bit like athlete’s foot. She’d never seen so much of her, which was telling in itself. Gemma never took the trouble to visit her at home. This was all brand new. At this rate, the buttock grooves in Gemma's couch might actually get a chance to smooth out.

“You know you’ve not been happy since Dad passed away,” she said, offering the leaflet. “Then there have been all those problems with your back.”

Well, bugger me, bring on the firing squad then! With a case that watertight, it’s a wonder I didn’t chuck myself under a bus years ago! She skimmed it without taking any of it in. “Yes,” she said wearily. “Seems very comprehensive. I’ll think about it.”

Why was she such a pushover? All her life, she’d been a doormat. She may as well have had “WELCOME” stamped across her forehead. Now here she was again, passively allowing her self-entitled, freeloading fatberg of a daughter to escort her to an early grave, all so she could clear her maxed-out store cards!

On the other hand, what reason did she actually have for going on living, with so many of her friends already having passed on and with her alleged nearest and dearest doing everything in their power to hasten her demise? To say she no longer felt welcome on this mortal coil was an understatement.


4.


Gemma had taken it upon herself to invite a representative from Serenity Inc. to her mother’s house for a free consultation.

A black car drew up outside. A door opened, and a pair of black-stockinged legs swung out. It was a girl in her early twenties with black braided hair and enough foundation to support a fortress. She made her way up the drive, tottering on ludicrous heels like a coked-up Barbie doll.

“Beryl Lloyd?” the girl asked, tugging the hem of her short black skirt.

“Yes, I’m Mrs Lloyd,” Beryl said.

“Oh, fantastic,” the girl beamed. “I’m Arabella.”

Beryl didn’t know what to think. Perhaps this one had been despatched as the friendly face of euthanasia. “Won’t you come in?” she said.

Arabella immediately fell onto Beryl’s couch and made herself at home, half sliding out of her shoes. “So, I understand you’re interested in purchasing one of our packages?”

“Yes,” Gemma said, answering on her mother’s behalf. “And it’s just a one-off fee?”

“Oh, yes, that’s correct, and we can proceed at a time to suit you. We keep the whole process stress-free for all parties.”

Oh, good, Beryl thought, Because I’d hate to be an inconvenience to anyone!

“Just take a look at our latest promo,” Arabella said, pressing her name badge. The words "SERENITY INC." lit up momentarily on her chest. Then Beryl’s TV came to life.

“We make it so easy,” said a young man with platinum-streaked hair and suspiciously white teeth. “We provide an exit plan tailored to your needs.” He was standing behind an elderly lady at a kitchen table, guiding her through a range of options. He placed a kindly hand upon her shoulder. It was the same elderly lady from the previous ad. So they hadn’t shoved a pillow over her face yet.

“Our services can be delivered either in the comfort of your own home or at one of our local consultation centres. We are qualified to administer anaesthesia, as well as the exit method of your choice. For home visits, we also provide HRPs for the safe disposal of your remains.”

Great, they even supply the body bags!

“We really do take care of everything,” the young man continued. “We even handle the aftercare, including those difficult funeral arrangements. Rest assured, we’ve got you covered.”

“Just one question,” Beryl ventured. “When the young gentleman said, ‘exit method of your choice’, what did he mean exactly?”

“Oh, yes,” Arabella answered, doe eyes blinking. “We have a variety of options. This is currently our most popular.” She held up a white capsule.

Beryl flinched. Was this a regular party trick? Offering death pills like after-dinner mints?

“It’s completely painless,” Arabella insisted, edging forward.

“Understood,” Beryl said, shrinking away into the folds of her armchair.

“So, what do you think?” Arabella asked, her green eyes honing in like crosshairs.

“Well, it’s certainly something for me to think about.”

Gemma’s face hit the floor.

“Excellent,” Arabella said, undeterred. “Then let me give you some brochures. We’re always here to help.”

“Thank you,” Beryl said. Frankly, she wanted to stuff said brochures down the little brat’s throat and throw her out on her ear.

“So?” Gemma asked once the car had driven off.

She sighed heavily. “Let me see the forms.”


5.


So today was the big day.

The stage was set. Beryl was in her usual armchair; Gemma and Leroy were seated opposite.

There was a knock at the door. Gemma answered it giddily, a spring in her step. But it wasn’t Arabella. It was a man of about Beryl's age, dressed in grey. He frowned as he entered the property.

“Mrs Lloyd,” he said, taking an empty chair. “I understand you were intending to participate in one of Serenity Inc.’s assisted suicide programmes today?” He looked over to Gemma and Leroy, and his frown intensified.

Gemma and Leroy looked confused. Why was he here empty-handed? Where were the body bags? The tablets?

“Unfortunately, Mrs Lloyd, I regret to inform you that you haven’t qualified for Serenity Inc.'s programme today. This is due to factors beyond your control. Your case has now been referred to us.” He produced an official-looking card from his top pocket. Law enforcement. He then returned his gaze to Gemma and Leroy. “Under article five, paragraph four of the Assisted Suicide Act, I have been instructed to detain your daughter and son-in-law for mandatory euthanasia.”

“What!” Gemma and Leroy blurted in unison.

“As lifelong benefits claimants, you have been deemed non-productive members of the state and a burden to the taxpayer. I have orders here for your immediate termination.”

“But we can find work,” Gemma croaked.

“Unlikely. Even if you were able to find work, your debt to the state could never be repaid. As for your mother, she by default will no longer qualify for the Serenity programme as she will now be awarded guardianship of your son.”

Leroy sprang from the couch and made a bolt for the front door. But he didn’t get far. Four camouflaged officers broke cover and tackled him to the ground.

Meanwhile, Gemma remained seated and open-mouthed as the agent cuffed her wrists. She looked to her mother, and for the first time in her life, she felt something new. Regret.


END