When an entitled couple refused to pay my hardworking plumber Dad, they thought they were clever. Little did they know their smugness would backfire, leaving them with a bathroom crawling with regret. Here\u2019s how my Dad flushed their entitlement down the drain. Hey there, folks! Phoebe here, but you can call me Pippi \u2014 that\u2019s what my Dad does. Speaking of which, let me introduce you to Pete: 55 years old, ruggedly handsome with a white beard, and hands like a roadmap of hard work. He\u2019s your friendly neighborhood plumber and my superhero without the cape\u2026Dad\u2019s the kind of guy who treats every job like it\u2019s his own home, redoing entire bathrooms if a single tile is off. But some folks see that dedication and think they can take advantage.\n
That\u2019s exactly what a pair of entitled homeowners tried to do. Oh, but they had no idea who they were messing with. It all started a few months back when I swung by Dad\u2019s place. I found him on the patio, puffing away on his cigar and laughing like he\u2019d just heard the world\u2019s funniest joke.\u201cWhat\u2019s got you in such a good mood, old man?\u201d I asked, plopping down next to him. Dad\u2019s eyes twinkled as he said, \u201cOh, Pippi, you\u2019re not gonna believe what just happened. It\u2019s a doozy!\u201d Dad leaned in, still chuckling. \u201cRemember that bathroom remodel I was working on? Well, let me tell you about the Carlyles, or as I like to call \u2019em, the Pinchpennies.\u201d I settled in, knowing this was gonna be good. Dad\u2019s stories always were.\u201cThese folks, they wanted the works. New tiles, fancy fixtures, you name it. They picked out every little detail themselves\u2026 even down to where they wanted the toilet paper holder.\u201d \u201cSounds like a dream job,\u201d I said. Dad snorted. \u201cOh, it started that way alright. But then\u2026\u201d His face darkened, and I knew we were getting to the good part.\n
\u201cWhat happened, Dad?\u201d I asked.\u201cWell, Pippi, on the last day, just as I\u2019m finishing up the grouting, they\u2019re sitting on this couch, ready to pull a real fast one on me.\u201d Dad\u2019s voice took on a mocking tone as he imitated Mrs. Carlyle. \u201c\u2018Oh, Pete, this isn\u2019t what we wanted at all! These tiles are all wrong!\u2019\u201d I gasped. \u201cBut didn\u2019t they pick everything out themselves?\u201d \u201cExactly!\u201d Dad exclaimed, throwing his hands up. \u201cAnd get this \u2014 they had the nerve to tell me they were only gonna pay half of what they owed me. HALF!\u201dMy jaw dropped. \u201cHALF?? After two weeks of busting your hump to get their dream bathroom done. No way! What did you do?\u201d Dad\u2019s eyes glinted mischievously. \u201cWell, I tried to reason with \u2019em at first. But they weren\u2019t having any of it. Mr. Carlyle, he gets all puffed up and says, \u2018Just finish the job and GET LOST, Pete. We\u2019re not paying a penny more.\u2019\u201d I could feel my blood boiling. \u201cThat\u2019s not fair! You worked so hard!\u201dDad patted my hand. \u201cNow, now, Pippi. Don\u2019t you worry! Your old man had a trick up his sleeve.\u201d \u201cWhat did you do?\u201d I leaned in, eager to hear more. Dad\u2019s grin widened. \u201cOh, I finished the job alright. But instead of using water for the grout\u2026\u201d \u201c\u2026I mixed it with sugar and honey,\u201d Dad finished, his eyes twinkling with mischief. I blinked, trying to process what I\u2019d just heard. \u201cSugar and honey? In the grout? But why?\u201dDad leaned back, taking a long drag on his cigar. \u201cJust you wait and see, Pippi. Just you wait and see.\u201d He went on to explain how he\u2019d packed up his tools, pocketed half the pay, and left with a smile, knowing full well what was coming next.\n
\u201cBut Dad,\u201d I interrupted, \u201cwouldn\u2019t they notice something was off with the grout?\u201dHe shook his head, chuckling. \u201cNah, not right away. It looked just fine when it dried. But a few weeks later\u2026\u201d I leaned in, hanging on his every word. \u201cWhat happened a few weeks later?\u201d Dad\u2019s grin widened. \u201cThat\u2019s when the real fun began.\u201d \u201cPicture this,\u201d Dad said, gesturing with his cigar. \u201cThe Pinchpennies are sitting pretty, thinking they\u2019ve pulled a fast one on old Pete. Then one day, Mrs. Carlyle goes to take a shower, and what does she see?\u201dI shrugged, totally engrossed in the story. \u201cAnts!\u201d Dad exclaimed. \u201cDozens of \u2019em, marching along the grout lines like it\u2019s their own personal highway!\u201d I couldn\u2019t help but laugh. \u201cNo way!\u201d \u201cOh, it gets better,\u201d Dad continued. \u201cNext day, it\u2019s cockroaches. Then every creepy-crawly within spittin\u2019 distance shows up for the party.\u201d I shook my head in disbelief. \u201cThat\u2019s crazy! But how do you know all this?\u201dDad winked. \u201cRemember Johnny? My old pal? He\u2019s their next-door neighbor and has been keeping me updated.\u201d\n
\u201cAnd the Carlyles?\u201d I asked. \u201cWhat did they do?\u201d Dad\u2019s eyes sparkled with glee. \u201cOh, Pippi, they tried everything. Spent a fortune on pest control, but nothing worked. You wanna know the best part?\u201d I nodded eagerly.\u201cThey blamed the pest control sprays for ruining the grout! Can you believe it?\u201d Dad burst into laughter. As Dad\u2019s laughter died down, I couldn\u2019t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the Carlyles. \u201cBut Dad, don\u2019t you think that was a bit\u2026 harsh?\u201d Dad\u2019s expression softened. \u201cPippi, you gotta understand. These people tried to cheat me out of my hard-earned money. Two weeks of backbreaking work, and they wanted to pay me half?\u201d I nodded slowly. \u201cI get it, but still\u2026\u201d\u201cLook,\u201d Dad said, leaning forward. \u201cIn this line of work, your reputation is everything. If word got out that I let clients walk all over me, I\u2019d be out of business faster than you can say \u2018leaky faucet.\u2019\u201d I had to admit, he had a point. \u201cSo what happened next?\u201d Dad grinned. \u201cWell, according to Johnny, they ended up redoing the whole bathroom about a year later.\u201d My eyes widened. \u201cDid that solve the problem?\u201dDad shook his head, chuckling. \u201cNope. The sugar residue was still there, lurking beneath the surface. The bugs just kept on coming back.\u201d \u201cAnd the Carlyles?\u201d I asked. \u201cDid they ever figure it out?\u201d Dad\u2019s eyes twinkled. \u201cNot a clue. Last I heard, they were planning to redo the entire bathroom\u2026 again.\u201dDad sighed, his expression turning serious.\n
\u201cPippi, let me tell you something. In all my years of plumbing, I\u2019ve never done anything like this before. And I hope I never have to again. But these Carlyles, they weren\u2019t just trying to cheat me. They were insulting my work, my pride.\u201d I nodded, understanding dawning. \u201cThey thought they could walk all over you.\u201d \u201cExactly,\u201d Dad said, pointing his cigar at me. \u201cAnd in this business, word gets around. If I let them get away with it, who knows how many other folks might try the same thing?\u201d\u201cI guess I see your point,\u201d I admitted. \u201cBut still, bugs in the bathroom? That\u2019s pretty gross, Dad.\u201d He chuckled. \u201cWell, I never said it was a pretty revenge. But it was effective.\u201d \u201cSo, what happened after that?\u201d I asked, curious. \u201cDid you ever hear from them again?\u201d Dad shook his head. \u201cNope. But Johnny keeps me updated. You should hear some of the stories he\u2019s told me.\u201d\n
\u201cLike what?\u201d I leaned in, eager for more.Dad\u2019s eyes twinkled with mischief. \u201cWell, there was this one time Mrs. Carlyle was hosting a fancy dinner party. Johnny said he could hear her screaming all the way from his house when she found a cockroach in the guest bathroom!\u201d I couldn\u2019t help but laugh. \u201cOh man, that must\u2019ve been embarrassing!\u201d\u201cYou bet it was,\u201d Dad chuckled. \u201cAnd then there was the time Mr. Carlyle tried to fix the problem himself. Bought every bug spray in the store and went to town on that bathroom.\u201d \u201cDid it work?\u201d I asked, already guessing the answer. Dad shook his head, grinning. \u201cNope. Just made the whole house smell like a chemical factory for weeks. And the bugs? They came right back as soon as the smell faded.\u201dI shook my head in disbelief. \u201cUnbelievable. How long has this been going on?\u201d \u201cOh, must be going on over a year now,\u201d Dad said, puffing on his cigar. \u201cJohnny says they\u2019re at their wits\u2019 end. Talking about selling the house and moving.\u201d I whistled low. \u201cWow, Dad. That\u2019s some long-lasting revenge.\u201dHe nodded, a hint of remorse in his eyes. \u201cMaybe it went on a bit longer than I intended. But you know what they say about karma.\u201d \u201cYeah,\u201d I agreed. \u201cIt\u2019s a real\u2026 well, you know.\u201d We shared a hearty laugh at that.As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the patio, I sat back, processing everything Dad had told me.\n
\u201cYou know, Dad,\u201d I said slowly, \u201cI gotta admit, that\u2019s pretty genius. Diabolical, but genius.\u201d Dad nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. \u201cSometimes, Pippi, you gotta teach people a lesson they won\u2019t forget.\u201d I couldn\u2019t help but laugh. \u201cWell, I bet the Carlyles won\u2019t be trying to stiff anyone on their bill anytime soon.\u201d\u201cYou got that right,\u201d Dad chuckled. \u201cAnd every time Johnny gives me an update, I get a good laugh out of it.\u201d We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the sky turn pink and orange. \u201cHey, Dad?\u201d I said finally. \u201cYeah, Pippi?\u201d \u201cPromise me one thing?\u201d He raised an eyebrow. \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201dI grinned. \u201cIf I ever need my bathroom redone, I\u2019m paying you in full upfront.\u201d Dad burst out laughing, pulling me into a big bear hug. \u201cThat\u2019s my girl!\u201d As we sat there, laughing and watching the sunset, I couldn\u2019t help but think about the Carlyles and their bug-infested bathroom. It was a reminder that sometimes, karma comes with six legs and a sweet tooth.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Entitled Homeowners Refused to Pay My Plumber Dad \u2013 They Thought They Were the Smartest, but He Had the Last Laugh When an entitled couple refused to pay my hardworking plumber Dad, they thought they were clever. Little did they know their smugness would backfire, leaving them with a bathroom crawling with regret. Here\u2019s how\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":85506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[855],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-85503","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-story"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/180.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85503"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85503\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85507,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85503\/revisions\/85507"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}