He shouldn’t have done anything wrong. He was obliged to complete correctly the true production data of the manor. On the other hand, the thought of the cost of the species offerings from the manor, puzzled Barba – Costas that he drew back from filling in the application report. Every moment he was thinking if he had to write fewer or more tons of olives and olive oil than those that he had to report.
‘I could write for now that I have a small amount of crop, that I employ ten workers instead of twelve and also I could mention that we work without machinery… and after a year we will see!’, Barba – Costas mumbled. He filled out the form with almost fake data, and having hastily closed the folder he prompt Barba – Thodoras to finally get up from the bench and to go to the post office to send the folder.
After a few days a letter arrived at the office of Mr. Marlow Continental in England and his daughter Ms. Lekrem opened the envelope.
‘What's in the letter my daughter? How things are going with the farmers in Greece? Is everything okay?’ Marlow asked insistently. Lekrem was reading the report of the revenue from the estate, full of curiosity, trying to calculate its statistics.
‘Hmm. I don’t know dad! The crop seems too small for such a fruitful manor!’ answered Lekrem. She stretched out her hand and gave the letter to dad. He opened it and started to read it stroking his mustache. Instantly a laugh of pleasure came out of his mouth.
‘As starters they are doing very well! We will see how things will go!’ Marlow said while Ms. Lekrem was rubbing off her head confused.
‘Let's see!’ Lekrem uttered and a grimace of confusion was created in her ruddy and chubby face.
After a month of hard work on the manor farmers began to tire. The work had risen sharply. Many retailers showed interest in the products of the Marlow’s manor but the eleven employees and Barba – Costas couldn’t produce as needed. They were lazing to deliver orders so Barba – Costas had to listen to the complaints of the farmers.
‘We are tired! The work increased so we need some more farmers! You got to do something!’ the employees were telling him again and again. Barba – Costas was again in a difficult position. He had already sent a report in reply a few days ago about the number of employees which should not exceed twelve! After too much pressure from the farmers but also great meditation he thought to hire ten additional employees with the premise that he would give them half the salary they would normally get. Having no other choice, they accepted the proposal of Barba – Costas and began to work on Marlow’s manor.
The days went by. Another two months of hard work passed on the estate and the letter to the second report had been sent from England. It was the time for Barba – Costas to send the next written report to Marlow Continental. However, he had to sent false information for the second time. He wrote back that he occupied ten employees instead of twelve, that the crop was less than the previous month as well as farmers were working manually, without mentioning the modern machines that spend large amounts of fuel. As he finished writing, Barba – Costas went at the post to sent the letter to the offices of England. There the first accountant of the fields, Ms Lekrem became suspicious while she opened the letter.
‘That is impossible! Such a large manor can’t have so few workers! How can this fruitful land yield so few fruit?’ Lekrem wondered. Then she compared the acres of the Greek property with those of other estates which were scattered across Europe. Lekrem astonished she noted that other estates with fewer acres yield greater quantity of fruit compared with the Greek ones. Marlow stared at his twin sons, Yzokras and Naksaurts.
‘Get ready to go to Greece to see what happens to our property!’ he said and continued ‘Something is going wrong!’ he shouted with a loud and deep voice.
‘Right!’ Akiort, the second accountant of Marlow, yelled.
The next day, under utmost secrecy, the twin brothers took the first plane and arrived in Greece, on the manor of their father. Farmers got confused seeing the owners of the properties to entry the manor. The twin brothers saw larger number of farmers on the manor than what Barba – Costas had reported. Furthermore they noticed modern machinery of the harvesting, while they had believed that farmers worked manually. There were packages with olives and olive oil that were equal to the bimonthly reports of the harvest which Barba – Costas sent to England. Afterwards, Barba – Costas led the British to the office where the twin brothers Continental checked on, the payroll records of the farmers. Stunned the twins noticed that Barba – Costas had dazed with gifts of olive oil and olives for their work on the manor. They also observed differences in the salaries so some people gained more and others less money.
‘Excuse me but the salaries are not equal for everyone! What a waste of money is this Barba – Costas? It’s true then, that you have sent us fake data!’ yelled Naksaurts. Barba – Costas opened his mouth to answer but closed it immediately seeing the strict look of Yzokras.
‘So you have modern machinery for the harvest, when all this time you were saying us that you worked by hands!’, Yzokras clamored strictly.
‘And, what are those packages? What kind of offering writes on the carton this stamp?’ asked Naksaurts and continued ‘The chief accountant of the estates, Lekrem, must check this. At the moment for us you are blacklisted. You are a field in great debt’ he concluded.
‘No, no, all the information we have sent you, are true and accurate!’ Barba – Thodoras uttered while he was enjoying unabashed, some olives which he had grabbed from the manor.
‘You better chew than talk! You are immersed in a lie!’ Naksorts said strictly.
‘Tomorrow we will have general meeting! We will bring to Greece our sister Ms. Lekrem and our second accountant Mr. Akiort. We must take precautions so that you will pay off everything you owe us for this land,’ said Izokras and continued ‘Starting tomorrow, surveillance of the property takes Barba – Yiorgos as we know him personally. You must do whatever he tells you. He is an experienced farmer. If you do not listen to him you'll have to work on this manor without rewards until you pay off the amount you owe us! See you tomorrow!’ said the twin brothers Continental and left the farm. Farmers stunned, could not utter a word.
‘Oh, what a disaster!’ shouted Barba – Thodoras while Continental’s twin sons exited the manor.
‘How dare you say that we got in trouble? You were almost every day sitting at your bench eating olives secretly!’ complained Barba – Antonis.
‘Excuse me but you were getting olives and olive oil from the manor, to repay this way the filling station attendant!’ replied Barba – Thodoras.
‘What? Only us? Thou weren’t eating?’, asked Ms. Aleka.
‘Together we ate them!’ replied Barba – Theodoras and rapidly began a critical reaction of his colleagues.
The next day Lekrem arrived at the manor, the daughter of Marlow Continental together with her assistant chief accountant, Mr. Akiort. With arrogance and a stroll reminding that of a partridge, the chubby lady approached the farmers and began to speak with them.
‘I was suspicious with you from the beginning’, she said and her plump cheeks blushed of nerves.
‘So we are forced to take some action so that you’ll return what you owe us. Akiort, take the floor!’, Lekrem commanded the accountant.
‘From now on, on the manor will work only the twelve of you. The other ten of you that Mr. Costas hired, will be forced to quit the job. ", said accountant Akiort.
‘But they will remain with no job Mr. Akiort!’, uttered Barba – Costas.
‘We need to reduce staff, to gather money!’, Akiort said and continued ‘Furthermore, we cut your morning meal! You will only have lunch! At lunch we will provide spaghetti and noodles... only!’ said the strict Akiort.
‘Only noodles?’, Aleka screamed.
‘Indeed! Only noodles!’, said Ms. Lekrem strictly.
‘But we won’t satiate!’, said Aleka lady.
‘Then… bring your own food from home! ", Lekrem added and farmers
began to talk and walk fretfuly.
‘Shhhh… Noodles and still!’, accountant Akiort shouted nervously watching the farmers to walk back and forth.
‘To conclude, from now on you will not be giving away olives and olive oil to the filling station attendant in the village so you can freely fill your machines! You will work manually! Machines will be withdrawn’ she ended up and then turned over to the new leader of the farmers.
‘Are we agreed Barba – Yiorgos?’, she asked him.
‘What can I say? Maybe we should tell all twelve farmers to decide whether they accept these measures?’, Barba – Yiorgos asked with shyness.
‘Well… Of course not! You will accept the measures whether you want them or not!’, Lekrem yelled strictly and then turned to the new leader of the farmers.
‘Barba – Yiorgos, I want you to write to me more often about what happens at the Greek land! Ok? Will you write me?’, she asked him.
‘Okay Ms. Lekrem... I'll write you!’, said Barba – Yiorgos.
The end
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