To say that my new place is bad is an understatement. In fact, it would be the understatement of the year, because it is nothing like what I ever thought I would ever have to live in. But I am here, and I have already paid three months rent.

The sneaky landlord couldn’t let me pay him by week, not even by month. Because even the first time I saw the place, I knew I wouldn’t last here. I guess that is how the landlord makes his money; he gets people, makes them pay three months rent cash down, yet he knows no one can live in such a place for that long.

One week, and I was already day dreaming about my comfortable ex-flat. Even with my crazy set of neighbours, that place still beats this one. Even with Michael threatening to kill me, this place wasn’t any better, because thugs were likely to kill me here.

I have a plasma flat screen in this neighborhood where almost everyone is a casual labourer. Sure, word will soon get out about my TV and it won’t be long before those muscular men come for it. And above all my property, I love my TV! I even fear switching it on, just in case someone gets curious and comes looking through the windows which I have discovered, don’t close properly.

But hey, Christmas is here, and although I am miserable, this is my favorite time of the year! No work, no stress, salary comes in early. That would normally mean buying some nice new stuff, but I have long figured that this is not a neighbourhood where you show off your money. So, let the money remain in the bank.

Yesterday I got a problem I hadn’t anticipated. One of my girlfriends called. She wanted to check out my new place. And it all came clear; I could not let her see where I was staying. I am not the kind that like creating impressions, but even for me, this place is way too below standards. She insisted of course, but I refused. The problem was that I didn’t have a solid excuse. I lied first that it was really far. Then I remembered she has a car. A car in this neighbourhood, her Mercedes would stand out. More reason for her not to come.

Next, I lied that I was really busy, I was almost never there, and she said it was ok; she could come anytime I was there. Running out of excuses, I finally told her that it wasn’t a good idea for her to come since I had a new jealous girlfriend.

That was a desperate lie, and she knew I was lying. So what I did was very simple; I hang up on her! She called again, but I refused to pick up. She texted me asking me what I thought I was up to. But, I didn’t have anything to tell her, so I didn’t answer her texts. feeling caged, I stepped out of my house to see what was happening in my new neighborhood, and that’s when I saw her; she was exquisite, like a jewel in a dustbin. 

She didn’t see me; she was talking to a younger girl, who from her looks might have been her sister. Then she turned and caught me staring at her. She was pretty, alright, but there was a look of pure disgust on her face. I wondered what could have made that girl so irritated! I didn’t stop looking at her, of course.

She shouted at the younger girl and walked off angrily. And I stood there, rooted to the spot. Even when she passed by me and coldly asked me "what are you looking at?” I didn’t stop staring at her. Because of all the things I had expected in this neighborhood, I hadn’t even thought of something like her.

But from the looks of everything, she had anger management issues to deal with. And what I needed right now wasn’t some one to make my life hard, I needed something simple and easy for a change. I decided to forget about her, but that was a lie.

I lay awake that evening wondering how she would look if she had on designer clothes, and a little bit of personal care… This Christmas wasn’t going to be ordinary for me because already, a plan was hatching in my mind. First, I would get to know her name, then where she stayed …

Ends