The Plumber

Posted on by redwineinmyseventies Posted in Uncategorized
I stand in the kitchen, the floor is covered in water and I watch as water seeps out of the boiler, peculiarly it is still working. ‘At least I am warm.’ I think. I am paying £25 a month for the boiler to be mended if necessary. I phone the help line for three hours and there is no reply. In desperation I call a local plumber who drains the radiators and the flood in my kitchen subsides. It is cold and I have no hot water. I put the electric blanket on and go to bed. Miraculously, the phone is answered the next morning, an engineer will come in two days! He comes. He is very large and grumpy, and I can tell that he wants to run away. ‘It’s nearly the end of my shift and I am meant to be going out,’ He grumbles. I give him tea and biscuits and he softens. ‘Oh well, now that you have given me tea and are those biscuits really for me?’ He sighs and gets to work. I am dubious that he can actually mend the boiler. It seems wrecked. The noises that come from the kitchen sound almost frightening. There are shouts and grunts as things were banged out or in. ‘Are you ok?’ I ask ‘Yes,’ ‘Does shouting make you feel better?’ ‘Yes.’ He blunders in a sort of rush up the stairs to the loft and I worry that the rather fragile ladder will break under the strain and then he comes steaming down the stairs slipping on the rug in the hall. He makes a phone call and appears to calm down a little but the grunts and shouts continue. Is there a sumo wrestler in the kitchen? The time now is long past the end of his shift but he appears to be on a mission. The huffing a puffing quietens and he emerges triumphant, sweat glistening on his face. The radiators are hot and the warmth suffuses the house. He  becomes expansive. ‘I didn’t know that I could do that.’ He said, beaming with pride.

4 thoughts on “The Plumber”

  2. Persianlove19's avatar
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    Persianlove19 says:

    Re. The plumber, I’m SO thrilled that all’s working now. I confess that whilst reading the report of your ‘job’, I didn’t breathe until the very end!
    Seriously though Trish, if you need any help from a slightly less grumpy gas engineer, let me know and he’ll be with you as instantly as is humanly possible.
    I hope you’re managing in all this insanity, I am but am wondering what on earth is happening. I’m on new drugs and better than I have been for ages. I’ve reregistered with all my insurances, professional registers etc. How odd that for the last two years I had accepted that I probably wouldn’t improve and that I would never again be able to treat people… On the journey home, after my first Ocrevus infusion, my mind was already tuned into, ‘right now I need to get back into where I can help best’ ! Not oh shit, I hope this is going to make me better! So, all’s ok with the only real hassle being setting up a professional web site. I’ve lost lots of money through this before so I am going to take things gently and carefully!
    Let me know how things are with you Trish, we’re both in a way very alone now and it might just be good to get into regular touch… I’d also love to know where you lived, when you were here in Worthing/Goring?
    Anyway, take lots of care, hope to hear from you soon,,
    Love Neda x

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