title: Tenant and the Landlord
author: Ruby Watkins
description: Ruby Watkins was born and raised in North Carolina with nine other brothers and sisters. She decided to become a writer because of her children, who believe dreams do come true. A mother of two beautiful daughters and grandmother of three wonderful grandchildren, Ruby always wanted to write a book but never had the time. Now that her children are grown up, she decided to begin her writing adventure.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Zodiac
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Zodiac
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  -THE INMATES
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Zodiac
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 1
  
  
  ROSCOMMON CAMEand laid waste to the
  
  
  garden an hour after dawn, about the time I usually get out of bed and
  
  
  he usually passes out on the shoulder of some freeway. My landlord and
  
  
  I have an arrangement. He charges me and my housemates little rent-by
  
  
  Boston standards, none at all-and in return we let him play fast and
  
  
  loose with our ecosystem. Every year at about this time he destroys my
  
  
  garden. He's been known to send workmen into the house without warning,
  
  
  knock out walls in the middle of the night, shut off the water while we
  
  
  shower, fill the basement with unidentified fumes, cut down elms and
  
  
  maples for firewood, and redecorate our rooms. Then he claims he's
  
  
  showing the dump to prospective tenants and we'd better clean it up.
  
  
  Pronto.
  
  
  This morning I
  
  
  woke to the sound of little green pumpkins exploding under the tires of
  
  
  his station wagon. Then Rosc