Perfume Helen

A sleepy tousled girl in a terry robe is coming up to her coffee table, and sees the current issue of the newspaper “The Business News” lying on it. Her name is Helen Hocklines. She is 28 years old. She is a sole trader, that’s why this newspaper is interesting for her. But she doesn’t want to look it through somehow.
To see the situation right, I’ll tell the story about this girl. Her business scope is perfumery. But she was going through it her entire life. It took beginning in her ride to a river from early childhood. Helen was 8. She didn’t remember that day in details, but the most memorable moment was the time when she was smelling an unusual flavor. It was like sweet freshness. Helen liked it very much. She remembered that flavor for a long time, but she couldn’t reproduce it. It was the greatest sorrow. Then Helen swore that she should do everything to reproduce and keep her favourite flavours. She learned how to do floral water and then perfume. Due to it, Helen made her living at school. After school she decided to become a chemist so that she could do her work professionally. Helen studied organic chemistry at the university. And now her business has existed for 3 years. She thinks her work is like a dream – “creation with no limits” – according to her words. Now she is to create new perfume. Helen’s company is called “Helen Perfume Factory”, abbreviated as HPF. And the perfume is called the same as her name.
However, let’s return to the situation around the newspaper. Helen is taking it and sees the name of the first article: “Private Entrepreneurship is in Danger”.  She is reading the following: “Three British entrepreneurs: John Kelly, Mark Daniels and Peter Owen, have robbed major companies in the USA, Germany and France, brought to pass phoney bargains. Oil refining industry has suffered in the USA; light industry – in France and mechanical engineering – in Germany. European companies have lost €60 million and American companies - $40 million. As it has turned over later, these three entrepreneurs were connected to each other. Now the investigation is being conducted into this case. Will these countries cooperate with us? And will it affect only sole traders? You can see the predictions on the next page”.
Helen has put the newspaper aside and has tried to forget this article. She sincerely believes it will not affect her business. However, during the following week, almost half chemists and laboratorians have gone away from her factory. Now she experiences lack of specialists. At first Helen didn’t understand why it had happened – she was not going to pay less salary, working conditions didn’t get worse; but recently she understood – the main reason id fear.  She can’t control it. And it distresses her the most. But it is not the worst thing. Great Britain fell into the economic isolation because of fraudsters’ activities.
A month passed. That time Helen was trying to invite specialists from Germany, but she didn’t manage. And she wanted to buy fields in France, but she was refused. Helen is in desperation. She has decided to phone her acquaintance Mike – he may probably help her with a piece of advice. He was her fellow student, but now he is rather a research worker.
Helen is peaking on the phone: “Hi, Mike! Are you busy now?.. Nothing concrete... Can we meet?.. For example, in the cafe “Sweet tooth”... Ok, I’ll be waiting”.
Mike and Helen met in this cafe. They ordered two cups of coffee and two little pieces of cake.
- Nevertheless, - Mike started. – What’s up?
- Nothing. It’s the whole point. My workers leave me without any reason; I tried to adjust my business with other countries, but I managed nothing; I lost half my income. I suppose, you can advise me something.
- Yes, capabilities of these bastards were greater than we expected.
- Yes, business is evil.
- Business is a part of your life. Don’t forget it. You may search specialists in our country.
Mike sees empty Helen’s glance and he understands she is in a terrible state.
- Helen, - Mike refers. – Can you remember any funny case in your work?
- I think I can. One day an inexperienced laboratorian mussed up names of substances: pheromones and phytoncides! It was the most confused case in my work!
- I should say!
- But on the other hand, those who used the perfume didn’t catch a cold.
- That’s an advantage. I see you look better. Helen, will you use my advice?
- I will, I’ll try. I’m sorry I need a glass of water.
Helen ordered and drank a glass of water. Then she said:
- I’m terribly sorry, Mike! I forgot to ask you how you are!
- That’s alright. Nothing new happens, but my science doesn’t let me down.
- Thank heaven.
- Helen, please, promise not to be sad!
- I promise. Ok, I’ll go.
- Good luck!
- Same to you!
Then Helen went to her factory, but there another unpleasant event is waiting for her. A valuable employee, Michael Dools, is also leaving the factory. As always, she tried to stop him, but it didn’t help. He said to her:
- I am not going to work in the country, where business is collapsing
- Why?
- That’s policy. Get used to it, baby!
- It is not good, that your political principles are above others.
- Pardon me, but policy is a basis of any business.
- Are you sure?
- Michael Dools gave a strange glance. Helen couldn’t understand what he was thinking of, but she was sure, that her question made Michael doubt his convictions. But it didn’t make him stay.
When Helen had come home, her mother called her. She asked daughter:
- I heard you tried to establish contact with other countries. Why did you do it?
- To improve my business, mom.
- Don’t you love England?
- I love England very much, you know it.
- So why don’t you improve your business in England?
- Because I don’t fixate on it.
- Please, don’t set your eyes on other countries! If you don’t obey me, you will finally destroy your business. And I have one more request to you. Give up your friend Lian!
- Why should I give up her? Because she is black?
- Yes! You know, I have never liked your friendship with black people.
- Mom, I’m sorry, but it is your whim!
- Don’t forget, we are conservatives!
- No. You are conservative, but I am a liberal!
And Helen has hung up. She is thinking: “Conservatism won’t lead to a happy end. Because everything is changing”.
The following day her friend Lian invited Helen to visit. Her full name is Lian Dekaras. She is 25. She is studying in the university, but in two months she will graduate it. Lian is going to become an interpreter. I should say Lian is absolutely in love with her future profession. She is really a black girl. Helen and Lian got acquainted with each other two years ago in Helen’s factory, when Lian came there. She came, because she is a fan of Helen’s perfume. Since then they keep friendship.
When Helen came, Lian suggested their drinking tea.
- I’m so sorry, - Lian started. – I didn’t let anyone bother me, because I am really very busy.
- That’s alright, I understand you.
- I heard, you have difficulties with your business/
- Yes, that’s true. So why did you invite me?
- I want to offer you my help.
- Help?
- Yes! Helen, we will go to negotiations! You know, I speak German and French very well. Believe me, I know, what to say.
- Lian, it would be great!
- But I have a request to you. I will get my diploma in two months. And I must pass all my exams with excellent marks. I want to help you very much! Can you wait?
- I am ready to wait! Lian, I need more fields, because I want to grow new flowers! I have an idea of new perfume, it will be a bomb!
- I’m glad that even in the hard times you keep your inspiration! You are a strong person. But I can’t wait till the times I will speak, speak and speak!
The girls exchanged smiles.
When Helen had come back home she started reflecting: “If I am a liberal, my main principle should be: no limits! Of course, I’ll tell it Lian!” I should say the expectation was hard for Helen both in material and spiritual terms. She tried not to spend much of her savings and hoped very much, that Lian’s abilities would help her. After Lian passed all her exams with excellent marks and graduated the university, Helen hired her as a private interpreter. Then she said to Lian:
- Remember the main principle of our trip – no limits! Don’t be afraid of taking risks! Cooperation is possible only under this condition.
They had to go to Germany and France by plane, because it was in their interest. Both trips were planned in one day. But on the plane Helen was exciting.
Their first negotiations were in Germany. The purpose was to hire chemists and laboratorians from a little company. As Helen remembered, the most terrible moment was when the company director asked for a certificate of income. He looked it through and then asked what the main principle of Helen’s business was. Helen answered: “No limits!” Lian translated it and everyone exchanged smiles. The result was that the director gave workers Helen’s factory!
In France Helen wanted to buy fields. French people were more difficile, but Lian managed to sell them on. Helen offered a price twice more than owner requested and she promised good percentage of the income. And finally Helen bought two large fields! All this time Helen didn’t know what Lian told them. She could hardly believe her fortune! And on their way home Helen asked Lian:
- But what did you tell them? Because I know exactly, they wouldn’t just talk.
- I told them something about the following: “Are you afraid? Do entrepreneurs need to be afraid? We have the whole business is based on risk, and you can’t know for sure the outcome of our cooperation. You’d better to look here what we offer. No fears and no limits!”
- Ah, thank you so much! You really helped me! I knew you would manage.
- Not without your help, Helen!
Helen was happy to know her business was going to be adjusted. She rehabilitated the following three months. She realized her idea with the new perfume and her income grew one and a half times! Helen named the perfume “A Ribbon of Yellow”. It became a real hit!
But the main event happened to Great Britain. Helen pulled out the country from the economic isolation! After she signed contracts with these two countries, other entrepreneurs from these and other countries saw subsequently that Helen didn’t deceit anybody, moreover, this cooperation was profitable both for Germany and France; and they lost their fears and began to cooperate with Great Britain. Helen appeared on the first page of the newspaper “The Business News”. And when she was asked, what helped her dare to go for negotiations, she answered: “Love to my country and all countries, with which I cooperated in the past, cooperate now and will cooperate in the future!”