Suddenly, the couple emerged from the other room and arrived before. "My wife and I like the place, Mr Peter. We'll take it," the man said before shifting his focus towards Elias. "Is there still an issue with the former tenant?" he asked, frowning.
"No! Absolutely not. Don't worry, Mr Thompson. He was just living and had promised not to cause more trouble…" Mr Peter responded, smiling broadly as he shifted his attention towards Elias. "Come on. What's the holdup? Get going already," he snarled.
Holding back his anger with a tightened fist, Elias turned around; however, just as he was about to take a step forward, he halted.
"I won't recommend renting here. Mr Peter is known for unknown rent hikes and shoddy maintenance," Elias said, his head focused on the well-dressed couple.
"Hey, watch it! You are the one in trouble here, Elias, not me. Don't ruin my business for me," Mr Peter responded, pointing a finger towards Elias as if warning him.
"We can handle a little rent increase. We are looking for a place urgently, and this place just seems fine," Mr Thompson responded with a scoff. He had gained a little insight into the details behind Elias and Mr Peter's conversation to understand what he was trying to do.
Elias turned around and looked at him. "Look at what he did to me today after we've just had a little issue. Do you want a landlord who doesn't care about his tenants? What happens when he does the same to you?"
Mr Thompson hesitated to respond, a frown appearing on his face. Even though he didn't know what Elias had done to be given an unconditional quick notice and thrown out of the house, he certainly didn't want to be in the same predicament over a minor issue.
"Don't listen to him! He's exaggerating!! This boy's father brought a criminal under my roof, putting all the tenants in the building in danger, so I had no other to throw them out. You can ask the other tenants to confirm my words, and they will say the same. Nobody wants him here! They told me they would pack their belongings and move out if he didn't leave!" Mr Peter hurriedly explained.
Upon hearing Mr Peter's words, a realization suddenly emerged on Mr Thompson's expression. "I see. If that's the case, then we'll be taking this apartment," he responded before shifting his attention towards Elias and narrowing his eyes at him, "Mr Elias, I think that it will be best if you leave the building or else we will be forced to call the police, and have you detained."
Seeing that Mr Thompson was now on his side and determined to buy the apartment, Mr Peter quickly removed his shoe and threw it at Elias. "What are you still waiting for? Get out of here!!" he shouted angrily.
Elias blocked the shoe with his hands before dashing out of the house. Initially, he had planned to vent his frustrations by sabotaging the couple's attempt to purchase the home. However, seeing his plan fail and the situation escalating, he left before things worsened.
As Elias ran down the stairs, Mr. Peter's words echoed in his mind. He knew he couldn't blame Mr Peter for his actions. He had let his emotions and anger take control, especially since Mr Peter hadn't thrown his family's belongings outside but had instead called a moving company to assist.
Fortunately, he had the money to pay for their services, or that would have been another problem.
Elias couldn't help but exhale tiredly, his shoulders slumping in defeat as he felt disappointed in himself. He had the means to rent a new home, so it was best to forget about this incident.
Elias soon arrived at the ground floor and left the apartment building, his mind already turning to what came next.
"I'M WARNING YOU FOR THE LAST TIME! I DON'T WANT TO SEE HERE AT MY BUILDING EVER AGAIN!!" Mr Peter roared loudly from the second floor, throwing another shoe toward him.
Looking at the shoe hurtling towards his direction, Elias swiftly dodged it and raced outside towards the direction of the moving truck.
Within a few seconds, he arrived outside, with adrenaline still coursing through his veins, his chest heaving and deflating. He looked up to see if he would attack again. Seeing that the windows were closed, he sighed tiredly.
"Mr Elias, would you still be moving your things, or should we leave it?" the burly mover asked. He had witnessed the drama between Elias and his landlord but didn't see the need to mention it. The only thing he wanted to know was if Elias was willing to use their company or not.
Elias gradually recovered his composure as he nodded in response, "Yes, I'll be moving out my belongings. However, I need your help to store my things. Can you do that?" he asked, awaiting the man's response.
He had read about moving companies when his parents hired them to store their belongings for a while before they moved to a new location. Sometimes, they would choose to sell their belongings and start afresh with a new identity or simply make ends meet.
"Sure, we can arrange that. We'll take your stuff to the secure and climate-controlled storage facility. You'll just have to complete some paperwork and decide on the unit size," the burly mover nodded.
"Alright. Let's get it done," Elias responded, relieved.
The burly nodded, "We'll be finished soon, so you can follow us to our company. Hold on for a few minutes," he responded.
The burly mover joined the other two movers to quickly load the boxes into the store. Once they were done, Elias took a taxi and followed them towards the company.
…....…..
Elias signed the necessary paperwork and insurance options. He reviewed the storage contract, noting the two-month term and flexible termination policy requiring two weeks' notice.
He had chosen a 10x20 large storage unit, which cost $100 per month, with a climate-controlled unit, which cost an additional $50, an administrative fee of $25, and a security deposit of $200; fortunately, the security deposit was refundable.
An additional $300 fee, as they charged $150 for a three-person crew per hour for loading and transporting his items. A mileage fee of $1.50 per mile. Their company was fifteen miles from his previous apartment, costing him $22. They also included a $40 insurance fee because his family's property was only worth up to $4,000, so he had to pay one per cent.
The total cost of everything was $757. Moving forward, until Elias finds a place to stay, which he plans to do soon, he will have to cover only the ongoing storage unit and the insurance fee.