My dad, Pete, a 55-year-old plumber, is a hard worker who takes pride in his craft. But when a couple, the Carlyles, tried to cheat him out of his earnings, he decided to teach them a lesson.
The Carlyles wanted a dream bathroom, but when the job was done, they claimed the tiles were wrong and refused to pay in full. “Oh, Pete, this isn’t what we wanted at all! These tiles are all wrong!” Mrs. Carlyle said. They offered to pay half, but Dad was having none of it.
Dad finished the job, but with a twist. Instead of using water for the grout, he mixed it with sugar and honey. “Just you wait and see, Pippi. Just you wait and see,” he said with a grin. A few weeks later, the Carlyles were infested with ants and cockroaches. They tried everything to get rid of them, but nothing worked.
“They weren’t just trying to cheat me. They were insulting my work, my pride,” Dad said. The Carlyles learned their lesson, and Dad’s reputation as a plumber who won’t be taken advantage of spread.
As Dad said, “Sometimes, Pippi, you gotta teach people a lesson they won’t forget.” The Carlyles won’t be trying to stiff anyone on their bill anytime soon. And as for me, I’ll be paying Dad in full upfront if I ever need my bathroom redone!
