I’d emptied the apartment and stuffed the car with the last of my belongings. My elderly cat crouched in her carrier atop the teetering pile in the back seat. January’s ice had melted just enough. Now I could leave, before the roads froze over again. As I started the engine, the landlord sidled up in his dirty cargo shorts. “You owe a month’s penalty for leaving early.” I knew he’d already re-rented my unit and would keep my deposit, regardless. I smiled, nodded, and drove off. I was headed too far away for him to chase me down for $895.
Amy Rogers is a journalist who writes most often about food and culture, which she covered for 15 years at NPR station WFAE (Charlotte, North Carolina). amyrogers.net Instagram: @amyrogerswrite