THE DEVIL’S LANDLORD

The other day, the Devil dropped by. Well, we’ve known each other for many years, but aren’t exactly bosom buddies. Still, to be honest, I do like his company and so I welcomed him. But this time, he wanted to do a deal.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, the Devil did mean business, but of a different kind. He looked worried. He said he was getting old and was tired, and while his work till now was a lot of fun, somehow he wasn’t enjoying it any more. But with his reputation being what it was, he was not welcome anywhere and had nowhere to go to. He was in a dilemma and desperately wanted a place to stay. I could see his plight.

How was he to know that I was the son of a super salesman who could sweet-talk anyone into doing business with him on his terms? And I thought I had inherited something from my old man. So, the business genes in me came into the foreground and I thought of striking a good deal with him. Having slept through almost 30,660 nights (don’t ask me where) on Mother Earth, I quickly made some mental calculations and offered him permanent residence, provided he promised not to stray anywhere else. Overwhelmed by my generosity – and ahem, my charm – he quickly accepted my offer with gratitude.

True to his word, he has not strayed and has remained with me since, with me as his landlord.

The moral of this story, folks, is that I can do all the naughty things in this world and get away with it, saying it’s all the Devil’s doing. But you guys had better behave. You cannot blame my friend for any of your misadventures, because he’s sitting put with me!