Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Half and Half

So, I began taking Gerardo and the Sunday want ads and going looking at apartments. Never could find anything that seemed to suit Gerardo. I couldn’t get a straight answer from him about what would make the grade so continued to tour apartments for several weeks.

Getting a little anxious to put this phase behind me, I thought a little prod was in order.

“Gerardo,” I announced one day, “If you’re going to stay here, you have to pay rent.”

I figured, hell, he’ll weigh the benefits of paying a little more to have a place of his own and he’ll be rearing to move out. Why pay me when he can have his own place. Right?

“How much,” he replied almost without hesitation.

“Well, half the rent, half the utilities and half the housework.” I said knowing full well that nobody did any housework around there.

“Okay,” he said with a grin and held out his hand.

We shook on it and Gerardo stayed with me for two years.

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