One Hundred Names (Special Edition) by Ahern Cecelia

Author:Ahern, Cecelia [Ahern, Cecelia]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harper Collins, Inc.
Published: 2012-10-10T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Kitty slept in Sally’s house that night.

When they returned from Straffan to Kitty’s flat, that day’s newspaper article was rewarded with horse manure trailing up each step to her door on which it had been used to write the words ‘Dirty Sell-Out Whore’. Even after so much abuse, Kitty still managed to feel hurt. She contemplated taking a photograph of the door and sending it to Richie along with a note of thanks, but decided against it as it would probably be tomorrow’s news. The one thing she could be thankful for was that the attacks were never inside her home and never on her physically.

Kitty grabbed a change of clothes, in fact enough to last her a week, and then she turned on her heel to escape to Sally’s car.

Zhi, the landlord, blocked her path.

‘I’m sorry, Zhi, I’m in a massive rush. Can you please just—’ She stepped to the right to pass him but he blocked her, so she stepped to the left and he blocked her again. She gave up and sighed. ‘I’ll arrange for this to be cleaned as soon as I can.’

‘It is not good enough. Last week paint, toilet paper and shit, last night firework, today more shit. It is not good for my business.’

‘I know, I know. I really don’t think it will happen for much longer. They’ll eventually get tired and stop it.’

He wasn’t having any of it. ‘The end of month I get new tenant. You out. You find other place to—’

‘No no no no no,’ Kitty interrupted, hands together and desperately pleading. ‘Please, please don’t say that. This is just a blip. I have been a good tenant, haven’t I?’

He raised his eyebrows.

‘I won’t tell anyone about the PERC.’

His face darkened. ‘You threaten me?’

‘No! I said I won’t tell anyone about the PERC. I won’t.’

‘Then why you it bring up? End of month you out,’ he said, and stormed back down the stairs.

While Kitty was still on the stairs contemplating how much worse her life could get and where on earth she was going to find a place to live on a much lower income, Zhi reappeared with an item of clothing on a hanger, wrapped in plastic.

‘And your friend,’ he added, coming back up the stairs. ‘He no pay for his suit jacket. He supposed to pay this morning. You pay. Ten euro.’

‘No, no, he’s not my friend. I’m not paying for that.’

‘He your friend. I see you all kissy kissy. You pay. Ten euro. You pay.’

‘No way. It’s not mine. No way.’

He started to back away.

‘Okay, let’s make a deal. I’ll pay for his jacket if you let me stay in the flat.’

He thought about it. ‘You pay for jacket and I think about it.’

Kitty tried to fight her smile. ‘Perfect.’ She rooted in her bag for the money and handed it over. He gave her the jacket. ‘So I can stay?’

‘No,’ he barked. ‘I say I think about it and I think about it and answer is no.

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