Diane had never missed a rent payment in ten years. So when the 62-year-old came up $120 short one difficult month, she expected understanding. Instead, landlord Chris Turkle gave her three days to pack up and leave. “I don’t run a charity,” he snapped, dismissing her promises to repay.
Fate delivered poetic justice that very evening. Arriving at his struggling sister’s home for dinner, Chris was stunned to see Diane helping his nephew with homework. As Vanessa served an improbable feast, the truth emerged: Diane had been their guardian angel, bringing groceries and tutoring the boy since Vanessa lost her job.
Chris’s stomach churned as he realized his cruelty – evicting a woman who used her last dollars to feed his own family. That night, pride gave way to penitence. He begged Diane to stay, offering reduced rent as penance. Sometimes life’s hardest lessons come wrapped in humble pie – and the kindest teachers are those we’ve wronged.
