Baby as Leverage

Since June I have been in on-and-off negotiations with my landlord, regarding the renewal of my lease for 2010-11. Since June, despite my efforts, I have been carrying around the stress of the uncertainty, of worrying that each morning I will find out that I must move, that my daughter and I will be temporarily homeless.

This morning I finally received an answer, that yes, the owner is planning on raising the rent but that the number I had proposed was acceptable to him. The one condition of his acceptance was that I stay out of the way of his contractor, "Mr. Moshe" when the construction starts up again.

The owner of the apartment made it quite clear that he was agreeing not for me, but for Raphaela; "Now your daughter can go to nursery next year. May you have much joy from her."

A part of me feels dirty, for using my child as a negotiating tool, until I realize that I am in fact trying to establish a stable home for my child, my intentions are honorable. The owner of this apartment, and many others around Jerusalem, may be a thieving bastard, but he has a soft spot for babies.

I further reinforced his good will by not disagreeing with him, when he expressed anger and disappointment that the neighbors in the building did not allow him to steal public property for his construction project. "The neighbors aren't always nice to me either," I told him, and he felt comfortable enough spouting another five minutes of complaints.

This now allows me to take a whole year at my own pace to explore other areas of Jerusalem and outside the city, so that when we move it will encompass thoughtful consideration and planning, rather than being motivated by desperation.

I can breathe again.