The Lights Are Out Again, Part 1

The landlady's proxy, Rosa, has announced that she will not return the security deposits of tenants who leave while still owing their share of the month's electrical bill, which this month is 14,000 pesos. So far, three tenants upstairs have moved out. Last month's solution to the electricity problem was to divide what I hope is an average of past monthly bills between all the building's remaining tenants, in shares respective to their usage, and have the resultant amount be a fixed monthly payment. Nevertheless, for the third time since I moved in, the electricity has been cut off due to lack of payment.

There remains the matter of the guy that blew up in my face over the electricity situation back in October. Pablo has assured me on several occasions, without prompting, that he has evicted the Marlboro Man who used to live next door to me when I lived in the other apartment. But I continue to spy his motorcycle, clad in orange vinyl and complete with prints of bikini models, in the shared entryway of the building. From what I gather, he has developed an American appetite for electrical amenities that include cable television, refrigeration, and air conditioning.