Life is hard, and it becomes even harder if the hearts that surround us are made of stone. Diane Salinger knew about life. At sixty-two, she’d seen a lot more dark days than sunny and cried a lot of tears.
Life is hard, and it becomes even harder if the hearts that surround us are made of stone. Diane Salinger knew about life. At sixty-two, she’d seen a lot more dark days than sunny and cried a lot of tears.
Even when Diane explained why she was short on the rent, Chris showed no sympathy. | Source: Shutterstock.com
She took her savings and bought herself a small grocery store in a pretty mid-sized town in Michigan. It was perfect for her. A big enough town that would appreciate a few of the exotic items she intended to carry, small enough to be cozy and warm.
Cozy and warm might describe the community in general, but not Diane’s landlord, Chris Turkle. It was from Chris that Diane rented her small apartment within walking distance of the store.
As far as it went, Diane was the perfect tenant. She was quiet, didn’t damage the property, and always paid her rent on time. And then one month, she was short.
Chris fanned out the money he’d taken from the envelope in front of Diane and waved it in her face. “$120 short, Mrs.Salinger.”
Diane’s house was destroyed by a tornado. | Source: Unsplash
Diane blushed. “As I was explaining, Mr. Turkle, since so many of the small businesses have been struggling during Covid… Well, I extended credit to some needy families…And this month, I’m a little short. But you know I’m good for it! I will pay you the $120 in two weeks…”
“But Mr. Turkle…” Diane protested. “It’s only for a week, and it won’t happen again!”…
