Saving Face

Well drat. Mrs. Sherwood had to go and act all naively friendly on me. Sigh... Now I am stuck.

After all the breaks Mrs. Sherwood was given, the rent check was late last month. Very late.

When I had enough of sitting by the post office box, waiting for a check to miraculously poof into my hands, I called her. She sweetly told me she had put the check in the mail that day. She also told me her husband got laid off from his new county job a week after he was hired. I believe it. Jefferson County, Alabama is having some issues right now.

When we got back around to the topic of her rent, I said, "I was a bit worried..." and then bit off the rest of what was about to come out. Mrs. Sherwood responded by chuckling and saying in an ultra-nice, reassuring way, "You don't need to worry about me. I don't have the money to move anyway."

Of course, the end of my sentence was, "I was a bit worried that I would have to evict you." Apparently, Mrs. Sherwood was under the mistaken impression she could expect some sort of special dispensation for missing rent. Or, maybe she didn't want to hear what might come next. Either way, I wasn't amused.

I never brought up eviction. Instead, I threw this bombshell at her: "I am going to be in town and I want to come by." I wasn't planning on coming by until Mrs. Sherwood suggested there is a misunderstanding about my good nature. But what the heck! She lives half-way between my hotel and Carolsue's home. I can swing on over and take a peek. Hopefully this won't backfire and I won't be peppered with repairs.

Mrs. Sherwood quickly changed her tune and gave me her best Jackie Gleason: "hamana, hamana, hamana." She then asked if I have come to Birmingham since she had been living in my home. I said yes, somewhat often (if "often" looks like every six to eight months). And, I always drive by (which is true).

I don't think she wanted to hear that either.

Today, Mrs. Sherwood is first on my list of meet-and-greet. She is the only home I am going to where I don't really have a reason to go. I am really sorry I did this. I left my bad-ass-landlord face back in Mesa. I have to settle with my, "Wow, nice to meet you. Don't tell me anything is wrong with the home," face. And while we are at it, I need to find my, "I am not (too much of) a pushover and I expect you to pay the rent on time" face.