And so I decided to go to Boston. With our last bit of money. I found housing in the center of the student town. The landlord of the apartment—a huge apartment, I must add—was a student from Lebanon himself, who needed to go back to his homeland for a couple of summer months and didn't want to pay the $1,600 monthly contract rent. So, he agreed to let us stay for just $650 a month to cover at least part of his rent.
In general, finding summer housing in Boston is not a problem. Summer is the time when all students fly, drive, leave, or sail home, leaving behind their rooms, apartments, and houses. Of course, they still have to pay for all of this, and they really don't want to. That's why they are willing to let almost anyone in for a modest, non-market price.
The problem with Boston for us at that time was something else—the lack of even minimal funds to pay for our potential apartment. I found a way out by fighting for those same overtime payments from my employer. Knowing what kind of person he was, and considering the bad experiences of other students, I didn't even go to talk to Bob. I just decided to file a complaint about the non-payment of legally required overtime with the Department of Labor (I think that's what it was called). I emailed them, explained that I was a student, and that I didn't even have a phone to call them. The response came immediately, also to my inbox. They promised to send an inspector to the site, look into what was happening, and send me a full report of their work via email. To be honest, I didn't believe in success at first. But every day, they conscientiously and responsibly sent me updates on their progress: today we sent an inspector, today he arrived on site, today he discovered this, today he returned. As a result, they asked for my address and sent a first-class envelope with a check for the missing amount. I was delighted and deeply surprised at the same time by how prim, meticulous, and non-bureaucratically effective they were.
Don't be afraid to stand up for your rights; it works in America!)
