LITERATURE /10 ON C D7
BY LOUISE JOHNSON SPEAKER RACHEL ROBERTS STANDARD BRITISH ACCENT
42 SPEAK UP
LANGUAGE LEVEL: B2 UPPER INTERMEDIATE
FICTION
The
Deal
La senora Morris quiere comprar un apartamento,
pero ninguno le satisface. Al final, Raquel, la joven
de la inmobiliaria, descubrira el secreto de su clienta.
'm afraid I just can't imagine
myself living here," Vera said,
standing by the living room's
floor-to-ceiling windows'. "In
the summer it would be too hot
and in the winter too cold."
Rachel closed her eyes and
counted to 10. Most clients she
had brought to see this apartment
said the amount of light was fan-
tastic, but not Vera Morris.
"OK, Mrs Morris, I'll see what
else I have available'. Shall we
meet again, same time next week?"
Vera agreed and, after one
quick last look "just in case,"
they left.
Honestly, Rachel thought, Vera
seemed like a nice woman, but
she had to be the most difficult cli-
ent she had ever encountered.
Even when the property' was
perfect, like today's, Vera still
criticised it. The atmosphere
wasn't right in this one, she
would say, or there was a funny
smell' in another. Rachel was
starting to despair of ever finding
Vera somewhere to live.
Back at the office, Rachel
browsed' their website late into
the night. She didn't mind; her
own home had felt very quiet
Rachel had
shown Vera
countless apartments
that were for rent,
but Vera didn't like
any of them. Why was
she so difficult?
since the death of her mother a
few months earlier.
Finally, she came across' a
flat that had only recently come
up for sale'. Vera was a retired"
widow' who had told Rachel she
was on a budget". How would
she respond if Rachel took her to
view this place?
"As you can see, this penthouse
flat" faces south" and has its own
spacious roof garden": Rachel
said.
"It's lovely, but can I afford it?"
Vera asked, nervously.
"The owner will negotiate — he
wants a quick sale."
For once, Rachel was happy her
client was computer illiterate' Land
thus unable to check the flat's real
price.
"But it's so big, I'd worry
about all the cleaning."
"A cleaner would come in daily at no
extra cost," Rachel replied. "What about the
garden?"
"A gardener's there when you need him."
"I think I'll have to go away and sleep
on it," Vera said. "Does the owner have a
family, incidentally"?"
"No, he's married to his work, so there's no
time for that."
"Oh, what a shame"..."
Why was Vera always so interested in
the vendors' domestic arrangements"?
What did the names of their children
have to do with whether she liked an
apartment, or not? And why did Vera
spend ages" looking at family photos?
Rachel couldn't understand it.
Downstairs, Rachel and Vera arranged
to see more properties the following week
and then they said goodbye.
Vera walked home and Rachel followed.
Rachel watched Vera enter a modem
block of flats. Then she approached and
pressed the bell which said 'warden'''.
Did Vera live in accommodation" for the
elderly"?
A woman appeared who introduced
herself as Mavis, the warden. "You're here
to see Mrs Morris? Oh, she will be pleased.
She doesn't get many visitors."
Vera looked shocked when Rachel
knocked on her door.
"Mrs Morris, I have to ask you something
— are you a serious buyer?"
"Come in, dear, and ex-
plain ..."