4.
Grandma's cane went up again, and this time it came down on my mother's arm.
She pointed the cane at my mother's face, so furious the wood shook in her grip.
"This is the daughter you raised! Look at the state of her! Paulette here helped you put out the fire, offered to pay for the damage out of the kindness of her heart, and this is how you repay her. Bite the hand that feeds you!"
My mother clutched her arm, opened her mouth, her eyes already rimmed red. "Mom, just listen to Phyllis, please!"
Grandma sprayed spit as she shouted. "I've lived over seventy years. I've crossed more bridges than you've walked roads! You think I can't tell what kind of person Paulette is? She's a hundred times better than the two of you put together!"
Paulette rushed forward to steady her, rubbing slow circles up and down her back, still murmuring soothingly. "Joanna, don't work yourself up. Phyllis is young, she doesn't know any better. I won't hold it against her."
As she said it, she lifted her head and looked at me, a thread of smugness in her eyes.
I knew that look too well.
In my last life, the day the house was signed over, when she came to the hospital and pinched off my oxygen line, that was the exact look on her face.
The old woman from the fourth floor piped up again, her voice thin and shrill. "Say, can you people sort out your family drama some other time? Our walls are all smoke-stained! Are you paying for this or not?"
Gerard took a step forward, stomach thrust out, a lot more sure of himself than a minute ago.
"Phyllis Fox, I'm telling you, if you don't settle this today, then I'll do things by the book."
He pulled a sheet of paper from his folder. One glance told me it carried the property management seal, but more than half of it was blank, obviously printed on the spot.
"Under the community management regulations, when a fire caused by a resident results in damage to common areas and other residents, property management has the right to take enforcement action against the responsible resident."
He gave the paper a shake and raised his voice. "If you don't agree to a compensation plan today, I'll seal your unit! Cut your water and power! You don't deserve to live here!"
The crowd of neighbors broke into cheers.
"That's right! We're behind Manager Lawrence!"
"Throw her out already, before she causes any more trouble!"
My mother panicked, forgetting the pain in her arm, and turned to tug at Gerard's sleeve. "Manager Lawrence, listen to me, we really did have the gas checked, it can't be coming from our place, just give us a few more days."
Gerard flung her hand off and sneered. "Checked it? Then show me the proof!"
My mother stumbled back from the shove and nearly hit the fire hydrant behind her.
I caught her, steadied her on her feet.
Then I walked up to Gerard and lifted the so-called enforcement notice right out of his hand.
Gerard blinked. "What do you think you're doing?"
I looked down at it and smiled.
"Manager Lawrence, that's a nice, clean stamp you've got there. Still says property management office, too."
"But do you know that a property management company only has the right to provide services, not to enforce the law? Sealing a unit is up to the police and the courts. Who exactly do you think you are?"
Gerard's face froze.
I went on. "Cut the water and power? What's this, Manager Lawrence, since when does your property company sit above the law?"
Gerard's lips trembled twice, his face flushed a dark liver red.
"You, you can quit throwing law at me! Right now it's your place that caught fire and burned other people's homes! And you've still got the nerve to argue!"
"Whether it's arson is for the fire department to rule on. Whether there's compensation is for the courts to decide." I waved the paper in my hand. "You're a property manager. You're not the fire department and you're not the court. Standing here waving a worthless scrap of paper, playing the big bad wolf. Feeling pretty mighty, are you?"
I folded the paper in half, and in front of everyone, I tore it.
