One dollar dream

Lily stopped her car and looked around. It was an ordinary suburb. Green lawns, white walls. But Lily felt very strange, because she had never been to a place like this before. She lived in the city.

Of course, she was not afraid. But this odd feeling became very strong, when she saw locals gathering around and staring at her...

Mrs. Smith asked her to come. This request was strange, impractical, and old-fashioned. However, Lily couldn't refuse, because she was the head of the Department of Wellbeing and the only human worker in her office.

-Hello! - Said Mrs. Smith, - Your visit is a great honour for me! It's extremely unusual to visit somebody in person these days! I think in big cities people never go out. You are from the city, aren't you?

-Believe me mrs. Smith, the city is not a bad place. But I'm glad to see this neighbourhood. And of course, I'm delighted to meet you, - answered Lily.

- The city is not a bad place? - repeated the hostess, - Yes, yes... I know it very well. You see, I used to live there. I also know that you are here to encourage me to move there, - she paused.

-Mrs. Smith, I understand your feelings. It's a lovely neighbourhood...

But the old lady interrupted:

-Sure, but I have another reason to like it. When I moved in, this neighbourhood wasn't so nice. But you know, your father was a wonderful person! - she paused again.

-City living has many advantages, said Lili very politely.

But Mrs. Smith didn't like her tone:

-Don't ignore what I'm saying, my dear! Because I mean it. I am old but I'm not out of my mind! Your father brought a great hope to people like me.

-Excuse me, Mrs. Smith, but my father was just a truck driver...

-I would rather say a businessman! Since he owned trucks and hired people. But he was as shy as you are: he was saying that he had been just a truck driver, yeah!
But once he did an investment... Have you ever heard about these one dollar houses?

-Plenty of them were on sale after the mega recession. There was so called revitalization...

-"Revitalization", - repeated the hostess and laughed, - Not here, my dear. The state-sponsored program was never declared in this area. There was no hope.

This area had no state support but also there were no restrictions. So one day your father came and just bought all of them!
Then he gave them to people like me. People from the city. I had no home, no hope, and no future. He gave me a place to live for free. On one condition. It was written very clearly in our contracts. Was written in a very formal way, but it was extremely unusual for a legal document.

To become a real owner of the house, each tenant was obliged to pay $1000 as soon as he can. But what does it mean as soon as you can!?

Anyway about a quarter of the tenants left their houses using an option to pay back only one dollar. But the vast majority is still living here! Hundreds of us!

Hard to believe that your father kept it all in secret even from you, from the family, from his lawyer.
Anyway, the reason why I insisted to see you in person has nothing to do with your work, - Mrs. Smith cleared her throat, - Yes it's about your father. First of all please accept my condolences. He was a great man as I said...

You see, many of us still haven't paid. Your father made thousands of dollars with his $400 investment...
Since you are a municipal employee, you are not allowed to receive such money as a gift. Therefore we transferred all the money to your father's secret account. Adjusted for inflation, of course.
Here is a password you can use to inherit it...


Lili's father invested about $400 to his $1-venture. She found about $300000 on the account.