The "Ill-Legal" Tenants

Photo by Luizmedeirosph (from Pexels)

In a village neighbouring my own, there is a story doing the rounds of some people who strolled into a house, occupied it and made it their own. The even itself had taken place some years ago but the story has been passed down, though it is done more in the quiet now.

It all goes back to the original tenants - a family that was extremely wealthy. At that time the patriarchal system was so strong that the only ones who could inherit were the sons and in particular the firstborn son. Unfortunately, the rich family had no sons. The only two people in the following generation were Liza and Mia.

Liza was the elder but was slightly shorter than her younger sibling. They were born a year apart but they remained the best of friends. Mia was a tall, average-sized girl with olive skin and deep brown eyes, while Liza was slim with blue eyes which she inherited from her mother. Despite their stunning beauty, the two remained spinsters for reasons unknown. Because of this, the family could not pass down their heritage to the next generation. As years passed, members of the household began to pass away. Soon, the two sisters also passed away leaving the house abandoned.

Photo by Stefan Stefancik (from Pexels)

The wife of the butler of the house, Louisa, was a cunning woman. She had known all about the family and the problem of inheritance because of the spinsterhood of Liza and Mia. As the last members of the house began passing away, Louisa's hopes began to increase. However, Mia always seemed healthy and fit. When Liza and Mia were the lone surviving members of the household, Louisa sought a way to get rid of the two. Fortunately for her, Liza had fallen gravely ill and was knocking on death's doors. A few months into the illness and Liza passed away. Louisa didn't want to miss out on this opportunity. She convinced her husband to poison Mia to death. Then, they could quietly bury her and take over the house as there would be no inheritors.

That's how they say the family occupied the house. Once they began paying the taxes they were made the legal tenants of the house that was never theirs. To this day, Louisa's family continues to reside there as if it was their own ancestral home. The whole incident may have been conjured up, developed over time or wholly true. Nevertheless, it teaches us an important lesson. When wealth is the ultimate goal in life, one can go to any extent to make it their own even if it was always destined for another.