I own and operate a 65-space mobile home facility; read that as trailer park. It isn't one of those high- falutin parks with all kinds of amenities but just an ordinary place catering to the average hubby and wife and their couple of kids. My own apartment is off site and a few miles away but I drive through the park almost every day to see that everything is OK and trying to make sure trash isn't strewn about. There are at least a half dozen divorced females staying here with their trailers as part of their divorce settlements. Some of the residents have a hard time making the monthly payments even though I make every attempt to keep the lot rentals as low as possible. This is particularly true of the divorced females; they apparently weren't trained for any well paying jobs while they were married and now they are struggling to make all of their payments with the low incomes they have from places like Wal-Mart etc.
All of the residents seem to think that because I own the place the money just rolls in. NOTHING could be further from the truth. There is a humongous mortgage on the lot, as well as one for the septic system and all of the improvements the place needed. In addition, there are big tax, water, landscaping, etc., etc., bills. I am in deep trouble if roughly 60 lots aren't paying their rental on time.
One gal in particular, Nora, is either late every month with her payment or plays hard to find when I go looking for her on rent day. It finally reached the point it was necessary to have the Sheriff go to her place of employment and present her with a court order to appear in court to show why she shouldn't be evicted. She is a pretty little thing.... Short, blonde hair, blue eyes and a great body and about my age. After her visit from the Sheriff she was on the phone that night, saying she didn't want to leave my park and asking if there wasn't something she could work out. I offered to come by her place around 7:30 PM to discuss the whole thing.
She was all smiles and happy face when she opened the door and invited me in. Somehow she heard my drink of choice was scotch whiskey and she had a bottle out with a couple of glasses and an ice bucket. Hmmmmmmm. was there a bribe on the way?
I started with, "Nora, there is little doubt you are having a difficult time with all of your bills and not just your lot rental but you aren't the only one having a difficult time with bill payments. Delinquent renters cause me the same type of problem and you are one of them."
"Bill, I know I haven't been on time every month..."
I stopped her with, "Nora, you have never been on time. Not once in the two years you have been here."
She came back with, "Bill, I have listed all of my bills and have attached my pay stub so you can get a better idea of my problem. Please take a look."
A quick look at the stuff she put in front of me and it was quite obvious, she either had to increase her earnings or decrease her expenses. After a more detailed look at her expenses, it was apparent there wasn't any place where she could cut much out of them at all.
"Nora, I'm not sure what to tell you. About the only obvious suggestion is for you to sell the trailer and rent one. You would have enough capitol from the sale of it that if it were invested halfway decently you could come close to paying the rental on the one you would rent and the land on which it sat."
"Bill, I have been trying to do that for the last six months and no takers. The trailer resale market sucks." she answered, asking, " Would you consider hiring me to clean your place or do some of the landscaping around here?"
"Nora, I would love to help you out that way but the people doing those things now are people I am already helping out with that employment. I just couldn't bring myself to fire either of them just to be able to hire you. I am not that kind of guy. You wouldn't want me to do it to you just to help out someone else."
"Oh shit." she muttered. "Then what the hell am I going to do?"
"Well, how about pouring us a drink and we can think some more about it?" I asked.
"Oh hell yes."
She was up in a flash and had a scotch and water in my hand almost before my sentence was finished.
"Nora, do have any chance of getting alimony from your ex husband?" I queried.
"I called the lawyer who handled the divorce and he said I was fortunate to get the trailer free and clear as part of the divorce. My ex is out of work and has been so for a year. Apparently he fell in his kitchen and hasn't been able to work since."
"Well, it was worth thinking about anyway. Nora, I don't want you to take this wrong but I have an idea you might, just might, find acceptable."
"Let me hear it, I'll consider anything at this point." she said.
"Look, ever since my wife passed I have been going down to the gin mill/dance hall a couple of times a week looking to make out with some of the gals there. My tab is around $20-30 a night and I only get lucky about half the time."
Her eyes were big as golf balls and she was leaning forward in her chair listening with rapt attention.
"I would be more than happy to give you the $40 -60, say $50 a week if I came over here two nights a week instead."
"You mean twice a week to have sex with me?" she asked indignantly.
"Well, it was only a suggestion. I couldn't think of anything else."
"Bill, I think you better leave. Just put your glass on the table on your way out. I'll see the judge at the end of the week."
A few nights later my phone rang with Nora at the other end.
"Bill, I hate myself for what I am going to do. I know the judge is going to favor you so I really have no choice. I will be nothing but a whore accepting money for sex." she was saying through her tears.
"Nora, it isn't as if I am a stranger. We have known each other for as long as you have been in the park. What's that ...a couple of years at least?"
"Yes, just over two years this month." she agreed.
"Would you like for me to come over there or would you like to come to my place? Coming to my place might be better since none of the other lot renters would know what was happening. What do you think?"
"Bill, I'm still very uncomfortable with this whole situation. I honestly feel as if I am some sort of slut about to have sex just to have a place to stay." She responded and it sounded as if I heard a stifled sob.
"Nora, don't torture yourself this way. The fact you ended up with a dysfunctional marriage that left without a decent paying job wasn't your fault. Dry your tears and C'mon over. I'll have an ice cold scotch and water waiting for you."
"I'll be there in about an hour. I want to shower first." she responded quietly but I could still hear the catch in her voice.