Family Landlords Raise the Rent to Force One Sister Out
He walked toward the small hallway that led to the exit, his heavy boots making a dull thud on the pine floor.
I followed him to the door, keeping my hands in my pockets so I would not reach for my watch.
At the threshold, he turned back to look at me, his hand resting on the frame of the door.
“Vanessa’s first electric bill is going to be high,” he said, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. “The old heaters in that building run constantly.”
“I know,” I said. “I paid them for two years.”
“She does not have the deposit money,” he said. “Helen wants to help her, but we are already stretched from the moving expenses. I was wondering if you could cover just the transition fee.”
I looked at his tired eyes, at the familiar gray lines around his mouth, and felt the sudden weight of every dollar I had ever handed over to keep the peace.
“I cannot pay for Vanessa’s mistakes anymore, Dad, even the small ones,” I said.
