When you’re not an Airbnb guest

Roy planned to arrive with two suitcases for an eight-week stay in the furnished apartment, but had to wait for his girlfriend to drive him. Roy didn’t have a car. Roy was delighted by the accommodations, commenting that the online photos didn’t do the place justice. Girlfriend Trina seemed pleased too.

Trina stayed overnight. The next day the owner, who lived upstairs, knocked on the interior door of the basement apartment. Roy came to the door without a shirt on, wearing just jockey shorts. He apologized and returned wearing short pants, but still presented himself shirtless.

The owner needed to explain how to clear the lint filter of the dryer. Stepping over the suitcases filled with dirty clothing, the owner demonstrated how to remove a screen and gather up the accumulated lint.

Then, he told Roy that the apartment was rented only to him, not for two people. The owner held up his pointer finger. “But can’t I have visitors?” Yes, but they’re just visitors. “Well, how long can visitors stay over?” One supposes that Roy wasn’t familiar with common sense or Ben Franklin’s adage “fish and visitors smell after three days.” Instead, he wanted an exact rule.

Roy had a braided hair extension that reached his calf muscles. The braids were attached to his dreadlocks. He liked to wrap the braids around his face, which…