There was no pay. My grandmother, a second mother growing up, had a pension from my grandfather and a little bit of savings. So, she was supposed to pay me herself. I wouldn't accept. Instead she covered my bills, mobile phone payment, and a few other things I might need. Then it add up too much. Didn't have a whole lot of bills. Well, until child support came after me again for an order that should have ended a couple years ago. And then my mom helped cover that. I could rely on my one aunt and my mother. Much of the other family didn't give a shit about her. 15 minutes away.
That's why it was left up to me.
So, to be able to be her caretaker, the apartment complex wanted me secondary on the lease.
Long story short, my grandmother passed very recently. I gave the complex 30 days notice that I would be moving out because I couldn't afford this (ridiculous) rent here. The office manager glazed right over the fact that she passed, almost a thoughts and prayer sort of thing, and then told me I owed them 60 days notice and that I was also responsible, financially, until the apartment was rented again.
I told him that this was bullshit. Flanagan, because that's what he sounded like, off The Simpsons I think, hung up on me. He then left a note at the door. He didn't knock and I didn't read it.
How much notice did I have before knowing my grandmother had passed?
Roughly 3 hours. She had only been put in the ground a few days before that notice.
We gave her four years of life that she wouldn't have otherwise had, paying the system to take care of her, exorbent amounts of money. She had been happy until the end with us. This whole system around family caregiving loved ones is parasitic, if not from one end, the other end. Like this goddamn lease that I had to sign.