A Hot Day in Miami

I came home from class to find an eviction notice taped to my front door. This couldn’t be right. I had paid last month’s rent and the month before that. I have been paying on time since I moved in.

I went down to the lobby to straighten out this mistake. I presented the eviction notice along with some receipts from rent checks I had written.

“Yes, Ms. Redmond, well, I’m afraid you’ve been writing us hot checks so that eviction notice is absolutely correct. We’ll need you out in three days,” the building manager said to me.

“Hot checks? There’s no way,” I told him back.

“Well you need to check your mother’s account balance more often, or whoever Jessica Redmond is. Look here at the top of your checks,” the manager said.

I looked at the top of my checks. It did say Jessica Redmond. But, my mother was Jennifer Redmond. Was that even the right account number? I didn’t think it was. The bank must have sent the wrong checks. I started to panic and ran back up to my apartment.

I was met at the door by a man asking me if I was Katie Redmond. I nodded. He served me papers. I was in a hot mess of trouble.