=== Part II ===
I made my way downstairs for breakfast around 7:15. The one thing I did like about working at my grandmother's over the last four days was that she let me sleep in. Now, 7 may not sound like sleeping in, especially since I'm a college student, but I've always had a hard time sleeping past 6. The days work, however, kept me busy enough that I was ready to crash early, and sleep late. My father had told me that this might happen for the first couple of weeks, but I figured that over eight years of getting up before 6 would die hard. Boy was I wrong.
My grandmother already had pancakes ready, and had already laid out my meal. I had finished two and half a glass of juice, when she asked me how things were going. I told her I had finished a total of six properties so far, which left just two more for this week. Since it was only Thursday, I figured I'd have a nice little break for most of Friday.
"I'd like you do an errand for me," she said.
"Shit," I thought.
"I'd like for you to go ask Mr. VandeHaden next door for his check for the last two weeks."
After a bit of a talk, I was told that the man that I had seen last night was Mr. Alan VandeHaden. He had contacted my grandmother about renting the property 7 weeks ago. Unfortunately, she was about to rent it out to someone else. After a bit of haggling, they determined that he would rent the place starting the same time as the initial person was going to. While the house would sit empty for a couple of weeks, it would save him the place. Otherwise, he was looking at either renting a house in late July, or looking elsewhere. So, he paid for letting it sit empty for a couple of weeks.
He was supposed to bring the check by, but my grandmother figured we'd make the effort to get it, since she always insisted on getting paid in advance (and not having done so this time was making her a little silly).
I naturally asked if anyone else was living there, but she didn't know. She had assumed, however, that he had brought his family, since she had seen a young girl, a chubby little boy, and a woman around the house yesterday. That just left me a little girl and boy that I hadn't seen, since I figured I knew who the woman was.
I said I'd do it, asked how much, and finished up my pancakes, glass of juice, and three pieces of bacon. I was full, but not so much that I felt stuffed; I knew the hard way that that wasn't the way to start the day.
I made my way back upstairs, cleaned up, and put on a light green t-shirt and pair of brown shorts. Made me look a little goofy, but it was how my grandmother wanted us to dress while we were mucking around. I have to admit, it did a good job of hiding the dirt and grass that would eventually end up on my clothes.
Before I headed downstairs, I checked the neighbors driveway and saw that the station wagon was gone. I figured it was no use knocking this early, and with the car gone, so I headed off to the first house of the day.
---
Around noon, I headed back over to grandmother's for a bit of lunch. Still no car in the neighbor's driveway, so I headed inside. My grandmother naturally asked if I'd run into Mr. VandeHaden, but I told her I hadn't yet checked; both times there was no car. I was almost done with the second-to-last house, but I didn't tell her that yet. I figured I could finish it up, and get at least a quarter of the way done with the last house of the week. I figured that way she wouldn't think of more to keep me busy.
I ate, drank, and grabbed a couple bottles of water. I could plant one next to a tree to keep cool, as I plowed through the other while cutting my way through the last two houses. While the neighbor's car was still missing, I decided to knock on the door a bit, just in case.
I knocked twice, waited a bit, and knocked twice once more. I waited a bit more, and was about to leave, when I saw a bit of movement in the house. The door opened, and the blonde from yesterday was framed like a photo.
It looked like she was wearing the same clothes from yesterday; the tiny red shorts and tight white top. Her blonde hair was tied back, and her brow was moist. I smiled, and introduced myself. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed that her chest was wet, as well as the top trim of her top. It looked like she was either sweating, or had decided to take a wet rag to her face and chest. While I couldn't see much, she didn't look nearly as big as she had yesterday. That's not to say that she didn't fill out the top, but not quite the size I had expected.
"Is Mr. VandeHaden around? I'm hear to pick up his rent check."