-- BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND --
I'LL TRY TO MAKE WEEKLY POSTS FROM NOW ON !!
"I just had a frantic call from your #tenant, Giselle," Mom told me when I
answered my phone at work. "That
Kristina's been moving all her stuff into your house with an assortment of uncles and
people, and Giselle's very upset. She says they're big drug dealers, and now the whole street's in an uproar. She said to tell you she's giving her month's notice,
right now!”
I hung up with a groan and dialed Giselle's number.
"What's
up," I asked when she picked up.
"That Kristina Carter ... she belong to the biggest drug family in Schemmerhorn." Giselle's voice hinted at a brewing hysteria as she literally panted into the phone. "My boyfrien' Marvin told you 'bout her
but you didn't listen. I'm tellin' you, Stace, I ain't gonna live with that fam'ly in the
same buildin'. She trouble and so's
all her uncles an' brothers an' stuff. Everyone round here's upset that you've rented the place to her. You gotta git her the hell out heah, or
. . . or . . . I'm givin’ you one month's notice as of today. "
"Okay," I broke in as she paused for breath. "Shit! I didn't realize it was Kristina Marvin was talking about, though I should have clicked when you mentioned the braids. I certainly don't want drug dealers in my house, and I don't want you moving either, Giselle. Kristina's #lease on Stanford Street doesn't run out til the end of next month. I'll just tell her I've decided not to #rent to her after all."
"Hmph." Giselle grunted somewhat dubiously. "I bet it'll be hard gettin' her out, now she gone moved all her stuff in."
I
called Kristina's caseworker to apprise her of the situation. Ms. Siman was surprised to hear it since Kristina hadn’t told her she was #moving.
That
night I drafted a three-day #eviction notice in the hope that Kristina would
just pack up her stuff and move back to Stanford Street. Wim offered to serve it on her, since
he'd be working in Schemmerhorn the next day.
I also gave him a check for $250.00 to refund Kristina the rent money she'd paid me.
Next I called Charmayne to ask if she was still interested in #renting the #apartment. She said she was but hoped it would be available sooner than the first of September. She wanted to get in there and start cleaning. I said I'd keep her posted.
Friday night, three days later, Wim and I were back in good old Schemmerhorn, parked down
the street from number 51 because I was too chicken to park outside my own house.
Wim
got out and walked up the street alone.
I stayed where I was, content for once to be gawked at by the tenants of
the house we were parked next to. A
few minutes later, Wim returned with Giselle in tow.
"No
one home," he announced.
"Doesn't look like she's been doing any moving, either, according
to Giselle."
Giselle
nodded. "I told you. Kristina don' wanna leave, now she all moved
in."
I heaved a hefty sigh. “I'll have to #evict her then. The judge has been on my side so far, but it still could take a while. Rrrgh, I want her out of there now!"
"Better
move quick, or I don' see her bein' out by the end of the month,”
Giselle opined.
I held up my crossed thumbs. "Hopefully the Court will set a date in a couple of weeks, and Kristina'll be out by the first of September. Oh, by the way, Giselle? Do you have August's
rent for me? It's, like, a week late
now."
Giselle
shuffled her feet. "Yeah. Soon. My check's late this month, so I'm a bit
behind."
"Okay," I said, "but I do need it, since I gave Kristina her rent back."
Giselle
called the next evening.
"Somethin's goin' on.
Kristina's uncles and people had an argument. Next thing I hear,
they're busting in a window upstairs."
With my by-now-customary, post-telephonic groan, I called
the Schemmerhorn cops and arranged to meet them at 51 Manson Street.
