I will make you look like a fool if you make my life hard for almost ten years.

They co-signed the debt for an apartment-style house in a small Canadian city when I first moved out to go to college. That was twenty years ago, and the price was a huge $52,000. They believed this was a more sensible and cost-effective option than looking for a flat and negotiating with owners. I loved the idea, so I moved into my new house.

The building was mostly full of people aged 65 and up. It was small, with only 24 units split in half. It was in the basement. It wasn't a fancy place, but it was great for students. I was only 19 years old, but I was shy, quiet, and didn't go to a lot of parties.

Most of my neighbours and I got along, and I'd help them move big things or carry food upstairs. The age difference and the stereotype of a college student were very clear to me, so I made sure to be a great guy all around to avoid any problems.

My upstairs neighbour was the one person I could never agree with. She walked like an elephant for a woman who was 70 years old and couldn't have been more than 100 pounds. Every time something wasn't right, she'd say something about "that damn kid" and play loud church music on her TV at 5 a.m. on Sundays. To make matters worse, she told the cops that she saw me break into her car and accused me of doing it. I wasn't in the country at the time because I was on a job, but she kept being a pain in my ass. When I tried to talk to her about the TV problem, she told me to make sure it…