The permit problem

The summer heat clung to Kaisariani like a sweaty shirt. Myrto Zervou sat on her balcony, fanning herself with an old newspaper, watching the neighborhood hustle below. Her son, Aris, burst through the door, his carpenter’s apron dusty, his face flushed.

"Mama, it’s happened again!" he growled, slamming a crumpled paper onto the table.

Myrto peered over her glasses. "What now? Another fine for your truck?"

"Worse. The permit for Mrs. Katerina’s balcony repair, denied. Again." He paced, running a hand through his hair. "The inspector said the measurements were ‘irregular.’ But I measured twice! And you know what he hinted? That for a ‘small fee,’ it could be approved by tomorrow."

Myrto’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Ah. The old ‘fakelaki’ trick." She stood, smoothing her black dress. "This ends today."

Aris groaned. "Mama, don’t start..."

"Quiet. When the fox guards the henhouse, the feathers disappear. We’re paying a visit."

*    *    * *    *    *

The municipal office was a stuffy, slow-moving beast. Myrto marched in like a storm cloud, Aris trailing behind. Behind the counter, Inspector Leonidas Papadopoulos, a man with a greasy smile and shinier hair looked up.

"Ah, Mr. Zervou! Back so soon?"

"He brought reinforcements," Myrto said sweetly, leaning on the counter. "Tell me, Mr. Inspector, why does my son’s honest work need a bribe to pass?"

Leonidas’s smile faltered. "Madam, that’s a serious accusation..."

"And yet your hand is out like a beggar’s," she snapped. "I have two grandsons who understand fairness better than you."

A clerk nearby stifled a laugh. Leonidas’s face darkened. "You’re mistaken. The regulations are strict—"

"Then show me the rulebook," Myrto demanded. "Page and line."

Silence. Murmurs spread. A senior official, overhearing, stepped in. "Is there a problem?"

Myrto turned, eyes sharp. "Only that your inspector thinks honesty has a price."

Two hours later, Aris’s permit was stamped, no bribe. Leonidas was suspended pending investigation.

Walking home, Aris shook his head. "Mama, you’re terrifying."

She smirked. "Good. Fear keeps the wolves away."

As the sun set over Athens, Myrto sipped her coffee, satisfied. Another small justice served.

The End