Ordinarily, I am a person who is slow to anger–but sometimes, with what I consider just cause, I do lose control of my temper. And after the few times when that has happened, I have a tendency to seek the opportunity for revenge. Nothing extreme really, but just the opportunity for a little humiliation. I had recently graduated after four years at a university, and accepted a position with a large corporation on the west coast. Moving there involved a two-day drive, then sufficient time to secure living arrangements, but I was fortunate and things came together at a remarkable pace. I found the perfect location about a 45-minute drive from the city center and contracted to live in an apartment complex that surrounded a fairly large courtyard–with a swimming pool, no less. There were two levels to the complex, and I resided in the lower level so that my front door opened into the gated courtyard. The apartment directly above me was accessed by stairs leading up from the courtyard to a walkway balcony. The residents were very friendly and accommodating, and I quickly made friends with most of those living in the surrounding apartment units: some were single like myself, some married, some living together outside of marriage, and a few same gender couples as well. Several months later, I received a telephone call from a good friend that I had left behind at home. He had a friend, who had a friend, who had a brother that was recently married and was moving to the same area of California where I was living. He had given this young man my address and told him to look me up when he arrived, and I would be more than happy to guide his hand and help him get settled. I don’t mind helping out in situations like that and enjoy meeting new people, so I really looked forward to meeting the young newlywed. Besides, I was informed that he was an honest, respectable guy and a great person. Just a few days earlier, I had helped the gay couple in the apartment above me to move out of their unit necessitated by a change of employment. I knew that the apartment was available, and made a visit to the apartment manager. I informed the landlord that I might have new occupants for the unit above me if she was interested in filling it quickly. She enthusiastically told me to have this young couple visit with her when they arrived. The next day on a Friday evening after I had returned from work, a knock came at my door. It was the young man who had been given my address and was moving to the area. Derek was his name. He was alone and when I asked, he informed me that he had driven the rental truck containing their meager furniture and household items, and his new wife was driving their car. She would be arriving tomorrow in the late afternoon since she had detoured into a neighboring state to visit with her sister for a time. I invited Derek into my apartment and told him to get comfortable. He was obviously tired from a long drive, and I invited him to join me for supper and spend the night in my apartment–an invitation he readily accepted and seemed very relieved. Derek seemed like a nice guy. I informed him that there was an apartment right above my own, and that if he might be interested, he could visit with the landlord while I prepared a light supper for us. He asked me some questions about rent and the neighbors, then realizing it was a great opportunity, excused himself and headed for the landlord’s unit to talk with her. As I threw a quick supper together, I wondered how he would be as a neighbor. He was definitely friendly and outgoing, and seemed to be quite ambitious. He was about my height, light brown hair, not muscular–but not thin–just a somewhat lanky, average build. He wore glasses most of the time which gave him a studious look (he probably knew a lot about a lot of things). He had shown me a picture of his new wife and she seemed to be a little plump, but with a pretty face and beautiful eyes. They seemed like a nice couple.
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