Arthur just couldn’t keep himself from doing
a party. He always had to have one. It didn’t matter if it was only him and a
few people or with a large crowd. Somehow, he needed that at least twice a week
and if holidays happened to be occurring, the number grew considerably. Once,
he even drank every single night of one week. The amazing part of it all was
that the following week he looked good as new, as if nothing had happened.
Having him as a roommate was particularly
difficult. The parties were one big part of it but also his lack of order and
cleanliness. Every time he cooked something, the kitchen seemed to have
exploded: every pan and pot was in the wrong cabinet, there was rice all over
the floor and even small puddles of water or other liquids on the floor. He
would also get ketchup on the walls, and would never, even by an act of
kindness, get the trash out to the street.
Normally, a person like that would have been
thrown out of an apartment after a couple of mishaps, but there was an important
detail to be considered: the two bedroom apartment, which had a large living
room, a balcony, a very big bathroom and comfortable rooms, was owned by
Arthur’s father, who also happened to be one of the richest men in his country.
The man was very powerful and it wasn’t a surprise he had properties a little
bit everywhere.
Anyhow, that’s how I met Arthur. I remember
having arrived to the city, from my country and after a twelve-hour flight. I
had browsed online for days until I had finally found a proper place to stay
in. The apartment looked incredible and the price was just insane. At first, I
thought there had been a mistake but, after I decided to write, they confirmed
that the price of the room I wanted was correct. Immediately, I booked the
room, excited to have found such a bargain.
When I arrived, a month later, the first
person I met was not Arthur but his father. I had no idea of who he was back
then and even now I don’t really now the extent of his power and wealth. After
all, Arthur and I are not from the same country and his father is not very well
known to me. However, he was very kind, greeting me as I arrived. He made a
brief tour of the apartment and then asked to have a chat after signing all the
papers.
He wanted me to understand something: his son
was going to leave there too and that’s why the rent of my room was so cheap. I
didn’t understand at first but he said I would I due time. He only asked
patience of me and swore I would be glad I had decided to live there. At first,
I thought he was just exaggerating. I was very wrong!
Arthur had grown to be a very tall guy. His
feet were big and his hands too. His head was a bit smaller compared to the
rest of his body and that made him look weird at first. Of course, the first
few days were just perfect. The apartment was not only huge and very well
located; it was also very modern and had everything one would need, even a maid
that would come in every Thursday to clean up. She was a very chatty woman and
it was nice to talk to her when she came.
The first party occurred just after the first
month had gone bye. It was a big shock to see at least twenty people, all over
the living room, drinking beers and watching some show on the TV screen. Hours
later, they would turn the music up and start dancing and jumping and being all
crazy. The rooms were separated from the living room by a corridor, which could
be closed by a door. And if you also closed the door of your room, the noise
wasn’t too bad.
But the noise factor was only a part of it
all. It was much more annoying to be walking to the kitchen the next day and
having to avoid stepping on someone that was sleeping on the floor or on food
or on the various puddles of beer. Of course, when they all went home, they
would never clean anything up. Everything would remain as it was, as if a bomb
had gone of in the middle of the living room and also the bathroom. It was just
too disgusting.
I called his father the first time. I was
furious, telling him about all the vomit there was on the bathroom floor and
about the unconscious bodies on the living room and the smells and the amount
of dirty dishes on the kitchen sink. But he just calmed me down by saying he
would send Minerva, the maid, to clean up and that everything would be fine.
Then, I decided not to day a word because I thought it was a once in a year
thing, once every six months at least.
Minerva came and cleaned everything in less
than an hour. It was as if she was magical. And she didn’t say anything about
all the disgusting things around. I kept complaining to her but she only nodded
and said “Yeah”, which should have been a red flag but I just didn’t see it.
When I wanted to comment on the mess with Arthur, he argued he was too busy and
would just leave the apartment or get locked in his room.
I had never been the type to ask fro
friendships or to want to have a huge bond with the people I lived with. I just
don’t think it’s necessary. But I was willing to try if it meant getting sure
that bomb didn’t go off again. However, Arthur didn’t let me. We spoke very few
words and that was during my whole stay there, which lasted a full year.
Arthur seemed like a very private person but
then he would bring two buddies to drink beer and watch a game in the living
room. And then they would start smoking pot and then some girls would arrive
and then more people and suddenly he would have a party on his hands that he
even wasn’t around to handle. It was wasn’t uncommon to arrive late at the
apartment and finding a party where the person that lived there appeared to be
missing. People he invited, of course, didn’t care. But it was stressful not to
find him when the mess was going out of control.
Neighbors didn’t complain for two reasons: the
first one was the apartment was actually sound proof. So it didn’t really
matter how loud the parties could get, the people on the same floor or on the
one below (as it was a penthouse) could only hear a very soft hum. That was it.
The other reason was that they know who was the owner of the apartment and it
was a general consensus that they didn’t want problem which someone like that.
So complaining was not a popular thing. And
those parties and that mess happened every single week of the year except for
two glorious one in March, when Arthur was forced by his dad to visit his
family back home. It was the only time Arthur shared a bit of his life, only to
complain about it. When he left, the calm in the apartment was almost
overwhelming but it was welcomed.
I could sleep a lot better and could use the
TV without him been there. I could keep everything the way I liked it and even
Minerva told me that I should leave her more to clean. I enjoy those two weeks thoroughly
but was always afraid a party would appear out of nowhere because that’s how it
worked. I went out a couple of days and arrived late and it was so strange to
get there and seeing no drunk people on the floor and having a clean bathroom
to pee in before going to bed.
Of course, that didn’t last long. Arthur came
back and the following months were just as horrible as the rest. I endured
because my parents were really glad I didn’t have to spend so much money on a
place. I also didn’t want to break the contract, which stated that if I left
before the last specified date, I would not get my deposit, which I needed. So
I had to endure by going out of that place every day of that summer.
I went to the beach almost every day. I even
made a couple of friends there. But then I would have to go back to the mess. I
reminded myself that it was only for a few more months and then it would all be
done. I would go back home and I wouldn’t have to care about cleaning floors or
doing dishes that hadn’t been used by me.
The last day, we had a conversation. It was very
surreal. He said he was very sorry about how everything had been between us and
regarding the apartment. It was obvious his father or someone had talked to
him. Or maybe it was him, who had had a revelation. But, honestly, I didn’t
care. My luggage was ready at the door and I ordered a taxi on my phone as he
spoke. We just shook hands and I forgot all about him, until today.
