When a couple tried to avoid paying my hardworking plumber dad, they thought they were being clever. But their smugness ended up causing them big trouble. Here’s how my dad turned the tables on them.
Hi everyone! I’m Phoebe, but you can call me Pippi—that’s what my dad calls me. Let me introduce you to my dad, Pete: 55 years old, ruggedly handsome with a white beard, and hands that show years of hard work. He’s a friendly neighborhood plumber and my superhero without a cape. Dad always treats every job like it’s his own home, even redoing entire bathrooms if something isn’t perfect. But some people take advantage of that dedication.
When a couple tried to cheat my dad, a hardworking plumber, they thought they were being clever. They didn’t know who they were messing with. Here’s how my dad got his revenge.
Hi, I’m Phoebe, but you can call me Pippi. Let me introduce you to my dad, Pete. He’s 55, ruggedly handsome with a white beard, and his hands show years of hard work. He’s a friendly neighborhood plumber and my superhero without a cape. Dad always puts his heart into every job, even redoing things if they’re not perfect. But some people take advantage of that.
A few months ago, I visited Dad and found him in a great mood, laughing on the patio with a cigar. “What’s got you so happy?” I asked, sitting down next to him. Dad’s eyes twinkled as he said, “You won’t believe what happened. It’s a doozy!”
Dad leaned in and started his story. “Remember that bathroom remodel I was working on? Well, let me tell you about the Carlyles, or as I like to call them, the Pinchpennies.”
I settled in, knowing this was going to be good. Dad continued, “They wanted the works—new tiles, fancy fixtures, you name it. They chose every detail, even where they wanted the toilet paper holder.”
“That sounds like a dream job,” I said.
Dad snorted. “It started that way, but then…” His face darkened, and I knew the juicy part was coming. “What happened?” I asked.
“Well, on the last day, just as I’m finishing up the grouting, they try to pull a fast one. They complain that the tiles aren’t what they wanted, even though they picked everything out themselves.”
I gasped. “But didn’t they pick everything?”
“Exactly!” Dad exclaimed. “And then they had the nerve to say they’d only pay half of what they owed me. HALF!”
I was shocked. “HALF? After all your hard work? What did you do?”
Dad’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “I tried to reason with them, but they wouldn’t listen. Mr. Carlyle told me to finish up and ‘GET LOST.’”
I was furious. “That’s not fair! You worked so hard!”
Dad patted my hand. “Don’t worry, Pippi. I had a plan.”
“What did you do?” I asked eagerly.
Dad grinned. “I finished the job, but instead of using water for the grout, I mixed it with sugar and honey.”
I blinked. “Sugar and honey? In the grout? Why?”
Dad leaned back, taking a long drag on his cigar. “Just wait and see.”
He explained how he packed up, took half the pay, and left with a smile, knowing what was coming next.
“Won’t they notice something’s wrong with the grout?” I asked.
Dad chuckled. “Not right away. It looked fine when it dried. But a few weeks later…”
I leaned in, curious. “What happened?”
“That’s when the fun began,” Dad said. “Mrs. Carlyle went to take a shower and saw ants marching along the grout lines like it was their personal highway!”
I laughed. “No way!”
“Oh, it gets better,” Dad continued. “The next day, it was cockroaches. Then every bug imaginable showed up.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “That’s crazy! How do you know all this?”
Dad winked. “Remember Johnny, my old pal? He’s their next-door neighbor and has been keeping me updated.”
“And the Carlyles?” I asked.
Dad’s eyes twinkled. “They tried everything. Spent a fortune on pest control, but nothing worked. And the best part? They blamed the pest control sprays for ruining the grout!”
Dad burst into laughter. As his laughter faded, I felt a bit sorry for the Carlyles. “But Dad, was that too harsh?”
Dad’s expression softened. “Pippi, they tried to cheat me out of my hard-earned money. I had to teach them a lesson.”
I nodded. “I get it, but still, bugs in the bathroom? That’s pretty gross.”
Dad chuckled. “It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective.”
“So, what happened next?” I asked.
Dad grinned. “According to Johnny, they ended up redoing the whole bathroom about a year later.”
My eyes widened. “Did that solve the problem?”
Dad shook his head, still grinning. “Nope. The sugar residue was still there, and the bugs kept coming back.”
“And the Carlyles?” I asked.
Dad’s eyes sparkled. “They never figured it out. Last I heard, they were planning to redo the bathroom again.”
Dad sighed. “In all my years of plumbing, I’ve never done anything like this before. But these Carlyles insulted my work and my pride.”
I nodded. “They thought they could walk all over you.”
“Exactly,” Dad said. “And in this business, if I let them get away with it, who knows how many others might try the same thing?”
“I see your point,” I admitted. “But still, bugs in the bathroom? That’s pretty gross.”
Dad chuckled. “Well, it wasn’t pretty, but it worked.”
“What happened after that?” I asked.
Dad shook his head. “I haven’t heard from them since. But Johnny keeps me updated. You should hear the stories.”
“Like what?” I asked eagerly.
Dad’s eyes twinkled. “One time, Mrs. Carlyle was hosting a fancy dinner party. Johnny heard her screaming when she found a cockroach in the guest bathroom!”
I laughed. “That must’ve been embarrassing!”
“Oh, it was,” Dad chuckled. “Then Mr. Carlyle tried to fix the problem himself. Bought every bug spray in the store and went to town on that bathroom.”
“Did it work?” I asked.
Dad shook his head, grinning. “Nope. Just made the whole house smell like a chemical factory. The bugs came right back as soon as the smell faded.”
“That’s unbelievable,” I said. “How long has this been going on?”
“Over a year now,” Dad said. “Johnny says they’re talking about selling the house and moving.”
“Wow, Dad. That’s some long-lasting revenge.”
Dad nodded, a hint of remorse in his eyes. “Maybe it went on longer than I intended. But karma has a way of catching up.”
“I guess so,” I agreed. “It’s a real… well, you know.”
We laughed together as the sun set. “Dad,” I said, “if I ever need my bathroom redone, I’m paying you in full upfront.”
Dad laughed and gave me a big hug. “That’s my girl!”
As we sat there, watching the sunset, I thought about the Carlyles and their bug-infested bathroom. Sometimes, karma really does come with six legs and a sweet tooth.
