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Hey folks, it\u2019s Phoebe here, but you can call me Pippi. Let me introduce you to Pete, my 55-year-old, ruggedly handsome father with a white beard and hands that show years of hard work. He\u2019s a plumber and a craftsman who treats every job as if it\u2019s his own home.<\/p>\n
A few months ago, I visited Dad at his place. He was lounging on the patio, puffing on his cigar, and laughing like he\u2019d heard the world\u2019s funniest joke.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s got you so amused?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s eyes twinkled with mischief. \u201cOh, Pippi, you won\u2019t believe this one. It\u2019s a doozy!\u201d<\/p>\n
He leaned in, still chuckling. \u201cRemember the bathroom remodel I did for the Carlyles? I call them the Pinchpennies.\u201d<\/p>\n
I knew this was going to be good. Dad\u2019s stories always were.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey wanted a complete makeover\u2014new tiles, fancy fixtures, and even where to place the toilet paper holder. They picked everything out themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cThat sounds like a dream job,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Dad snorted. \u201cIt was at first. But then\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
His tone shifted, and I braced for the twist. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the last day, as I\u2019m finishing up the grouting, they decide to pull a fast one. They told me they were only going to pay half of what they owed me!\u201d<\/p>\n
I was outraged. \u201cHalf? After all that work?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly!\u201d Dad said. \u201cI tried to reason with them, but they were adamant. So, I decided to teach them a lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Dad grinned. \u201cI finished the job but mixed the grout with sugar and honey instead of water.\u201d<\/p>\n
I blinked. \u201cSugar and honey? Why?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad leaned back, savoring his cigar. \u201cJust wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n
He packed up, took half the payment, and left, knowing what would come next.<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t they notice something was off?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot right away. It looked fine when it dried. But a few weeks later\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s grin widened. \u201cMrs. Carlyle found ants marching along the grout lines. Then came cockroaches and every other creepy-crawly!\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed. \u201cNo way!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, it gets better,\u201d Dad continued. \u201cThey spent a fortune on pest control, but nothing worked. They even blamed the sprays for ruining the grout!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know all this?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cJohnny, my neighbor friend, kept me updated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the Carlyles?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey ended up redoing the bathroom, but the sugar residue stayed. The bugs kept coming back,\u201d Dad said. \u201cLast I heard, they were planning to redo it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head, impressed. \u201cThat\u2019s one long-lasting revenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s expression softened. \u201cI hope it went on a bit longer than intended, but they tried to cheat me. It was a lesson they won\u2019t forget.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the sun set, casting a warm glow, I thought about the Carlyles and their bug-infested bathroom. Sometimes karma comes with six legs and a sweet tooth.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Dad,\u201d I said, \u201cif I ever need my bathroom redone, I\u2019m paying you in full upfront.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad laughed and hugged me. \u201cThat\u2019s my girl!\u201d<\/p>\n
We laughed together, enjoying the sunset, with the story of the Carlyles a reminder that you get what you give.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hey folks, it\u2019s Phoebe here, but you can call me Pippi. Let me introduce you to Pete, my 55-year-old, ruggedly handsome father with a white beard… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10062,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n