Issue 16 Responding

Paul had bought his century-old home just over a year ago, and whenever something like this happened—one day it was the wrought iron railing on the front step that toppled over, another it was a shutter that’d finally fell from its hinges—a sense of dread came over him. He’d had to waive the house inspection to get his bid accepted, so the obvious neglect was no surprise, but that didn’t make things any easier. Although the home had been a momentous purchase—stretching him well beyond what he could comfortably afford—it came with an even bigger list of future expenses: the roof was in desperate need of repair, shingles were chipped, the wood in the archways that connected the living room to the dining room to the kitchen were warped and damaged.