by Steven Pike

Created on: November 02, 2008

Dick's father was a real estate agent. He lived and breathed his work. Big Dick was always going on and on to little Dick about the importance of investing in property, and in particular, buying investment properties and releasing them on the rental market. "Let someone else pay your mortgage for you" was one of big Dick's favourite phrases.

Naturally little Dick followed in his father's footsteps and became both a real estate agent and a shrewd investor in the property market. He bought a number of houses and units that he rented out to people. After a couple of stress free years that saw little trouble from any of his renters, a few cracks started to appear in the wall that sheltered little Dick from the real world.

A seemingly nice young couple had rented a house owned by little Dick. On his first three month inspection of the house, all appeared to be Ok from the front. The garden had been let go a bit, but it could be worse. Dick's knock on the front door was answered by the young lady of the house, who invited him straight in. Little Dick's heart almost stopped as he saw holes in the floor boards in the hallway and lounge room. Not small holes, but holes measuring three of four feet across. As he walked through the house (stepping over the holes) he saw more missing boards in the family room floor and bedroom floor. The kitchen cupboards were gone. All of them removed entirely from the wall. There was one internal door left, separating the main bedroom from the hallway. There was a television and three seater sofa in the lounge room, a bed in the main bedroom, but no other furniture that he could see. The cost to repair the damage would run into thousands.

When Dick finally managed to speak, after just a series of incoherent whimpers, he asked what had happened. The young lady indicated the fire place, which had a roaring fire burning, and mentioned to Dick how cold it had been lately.

Little Dick asked the couple to move out and they agreed. They were most upset when Dick advised them their bond would not be returned.

Not six months later, another three month inspection was nearly the death of little Dick. He was still recovering from the financial loss of the last disaster, when he arrived at a house he had rented to another young couple.

Upon reaching the font porch, Dick heard a bit of yelling and screaming, but then things went quiet. He knocked, then heard the sound of a chair being pushed back and the thud of bare feet. The front door was thrown open

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