2.djaultra.pics
Two months behind on rent. Account balance: $82. My name is Michelle Harper. I'm 41 and I've lived in Broadmeadows for twelve years. I work as a cleaner through Spotless — offices, medical centres, building lobbies across the city. Just me and my daughter Chloe, who's 9. Between my casual wages and the Family Tax Benefit I get from Centrelink, I bring in just over $2,600 a month. Rent takes $420 a week. Then the Myki, the electricity, the water, the ALDI run, the repayments on my CommBank personal loan that never seem to go anywhere — another $850-something that disappears before I even see it. By the end of the fortnight, I'm done. Sometimes before. When my CommBank account drops below fifty dollars, something tightens in my chest. --- In April Spotless lost the contract with our main building. No warning, no notice. My shifts just stopped. I went to Centrelink to apply for JobSeeker but there were weeks of forms and waiting before I'd see a cent. Two months without being able to cover rent or my loan repayments. I spoke to my landlord twice before he got the real estate agent involved. The second time he didn't want to hear it. One morning there was an envelope in the letterbox. I opened it out front, still in my jacket. Notice to Vacate. Dates. Amounts. Everything typed up clean, like it was normal. I went inside and put the kettle on. That evening Chloe asked me if everything was okay. I told her yes. After that I'd slow down every time I walked past the letterbox. Just in case. --- Narelle has lived next door for years. Her partner lost his job at the warehouse last year. I see it on her face — I get it. One evening she knocked. She'd seen me with that envelope. I told her what was going on. She waited a moment, then — Mich, I'm going to tell you something but don't laugh at me. I'm not laughing. I tried this app. Put a bit in, came out alright. Took it all out that same night. Then I tried again and covered the months I was behind on. Come o
