A story about a single father who after losing his wife, his job and his house, thought that he had hit rock bottom. Then the landlord came knocking...
***
"I know I told you that last week," Arnold Lumpkin said as the building manager of the apartment building stood in the doorway of the shabby place that the father and his daughter had taken residence in after times had gotten bad right after his wife had passed and Arnold had gotten laid off in rapid succession.
"You'll be 2 months behind by the end of the week," Rufus Greene bellowed, clearly unmoved by the meek middle-aged man's appeal. "The man don't allow that. What am I gonna do, lose my job because you can't pay? Uh-uh."
"Look," Arnold said, looking up at the hulking man whose frame nearly blocked out the light from the hall. "Forget about me - what about my daughter? You're a father, aren't you? Think about her."
"What about her?" Rufus asked, looking at the scrawny girl hunched over the table doing her homework who peeked back from time to time through horn-rimmed glasses to see what was going on out in the front of the place. "How come she can't get a job if you can't? Ain't she old enough?"
"Sharon's 18 and she works a few nights a week at the grocery, but she's still in school."
"What grade she in?"
"Senior year. She's going to graduate next month," Arnold declared. "Isn't there something we can work out?"
"Maybe I can buy you another week," Rufus mused as he looked over at the girl wearing a faded New Kids On The Block t-shirt who was chewing on her pencil and seemed deep in thought.
"That's all I need," Arnold Lumpkin exclaimed. "Thank you so much Mr. Greene. My unemployment check will be here and..."
"It ain't free what I'm doing for you." Rufus said as he rubbed his chin.
"What? Money? Like I said, I don't have..."
"Your girlie," Rufus said. "Tell her to come on over here."
"Huh? Uh - Sharon honey?" Arnold called out, and when his daughter answered he asked her to join them.
"Sharon honey, you know Mr. Greene right?" her father asked, and as he spoke the girl nodded, having run into the man many times in the halls of the building.
"How you doing little lady?" Rufus said in his Barry White-like voice, his eyes looking at the skinny girl with the overbite and ratty hair that needed the attention of a hair stylist she couldn't afford. "You're really growing like a weed."
Sharon shrugged her bony shoulders, because while she had sprouted up to be as tall as her 5'9" father, the part of her that to Sharon's consternation hadn't grown much at all was what the custodian's eyes were focused on, and unlike the times they passed in the hall this time her father was there watching the burly black man mentally undressing her like he did all the girls in the building.
"Me and your old man - we gotta talk little lady," Rufus said, dismissing the girl to go back to her homework and turning to Arnold Lumpkin.
"Want to stay another week?" Rufus said and after Arnold nodded he continued. "Then what we're gonna do is go in there and tell your girl to take her clothes off."
"What?" Arnold Lumpkin said, his face flushing and his fists clenching.
"You heard me, and you best unclench those fists because you know damn well what would happen to you if you suddenly tried to grow balls."
"I can't - I can't go ask her to do that," Arnold spurted.
"Sheriff will be here early," Rufus replied with a sigh as he turned to leave. "You best pack your shit up because they don't do it carefully when they toss your ass out."
"Wait!" Arnold blurted out as his hand reached out and grabbed the massive black bicep which felt like granite, and after the manager looked at the hand with an icy glare Arnold timidly withdrew it.
"Close the door," Arnold asked, and after it was shut he trudged into the kitchen when Sharon was working on her math.
"Princess," Arnold said, his voice quivering as his pride and joy looked up at his through those thick glasses. "You know that we're behind on rent and Mr. Greene here has offered to let us stay another week if..."
"Wait," Sharon said, bolting up and going to her purse, and after rummaging through tissues and mints and assorted things pulled out a crumple wad of bills before tipping the purse over and dumping the change.
"46, 47, 48," Sharon said as she counted the change and pushed it next to the crumpled one dollar bills. "$4.68. I know it's not much but here."
"I don't want your money girlie," Rufus said, sadly shaking his head at the meager offering.
"What Mr. Greene wants Princess," Arnold stuttered. "He - uh - well he's noticed how pretty you are - and well..."
"Take your clothes off for me honey," Rufus said after his impatience grew too much for him to stand. "Almost bedtime anyway, so let's get those things off so's I can get a look at you."