Wednesday's Words on a Friday

 

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles. Sadly, Delores has now closed her blog forever due to other problems.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along to read it and add a few encouraging words.

This month the words/prompts are supplied by messymimi and can be found here

This week's words/prompts are:

1. tap 2. dump 3. basic 4. push 5. favour 6. lesson

and these phrases:

1. a day late and a dollar short

2. my cup of tea

3. a home bird

Here is my story:

I took a moment to dump the heavy bag of tools, then turned to my sister, “where’s this troublesome tap then?”

“In the kitchen,” she replied and led the way down a long hall to a sunshine filled very large room, currently awash form the overflowing sink.

I threw my hands in the air in horror. “Do me a favour, she says, a bit of basic plumbing, she says!” She took a step backwards, carefully, so she wouldn’t slip.

“This is the sort of thing that merits ‘a day late and a dollar short’,” I said. “What the heck happened? And how long ago?”

“I pushed the lever down to turn off the tap and the whole thing just came off in my hand,” she said, beginning to cry. “It was just yesterday evening and I thought the water would just keep going down the sink, but it seems the drain can’t cope with the deluge.”

“More like a waterfall,” I muttered. “Where is the water shut-off valve?”

“I don’t know,” she cried, “I can’t find it!”

“It should be marked on the council site plans they sent as soon as the sale went through. Can you get those for me please.”

Angie went to her new study to look for the all-important piece of paper while I shook my head at the soggy cardboard boxes still waiting to be unpacked. This was going to be a major clean up. I could see the sink at the far end of the large room, where the pipe was spouting water now the handle was off.

The counter tops were sealed granite and the floor was sealed slate tiles, so the damage wouldn’t be too bad. I was grateful the kitchen was “sunken” three steps lower than the rest of the house, the water hadn’t yet reached that upper level.

“Rob? Here are the plans,” she held out a roll of paperwork, which I studied very briefly, quickly locating the water mains meter, half a mile away! All the way back up the driveway, right beside the winding track the council laughingly called a road.

I handed back the papers and told Angie I’d be right back, showing her just how far away the shut-off was. “Slosh across the floor and open those double doors to the patio, some of the water should run out and we can sweep out the rest.”

She lightly smacked herself on the forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that!”

When I got back, Angie was sweeping away at the ‘pond’, sending rivers of water across the patio and letting it all just run down the hill. The sink had emptied itself down the drain now the pipe was no longer overflowing and I got to work with spanners and sealing tape. “Why did you buy way out here?” I asked.

“For the land,” she said. You know permaculture has always been my cup of tea, and here the land is just the right orientation. I’ll have chickens and rotating veggie beds in no time. Over there (she waved vaguely somewhere to the left) I’ll plant an orchard. No orange trees though, being allergic means I have no use for them. Lemons maybe, I can sell those at the local markets, definitely apples and cherries, peaches too,” she said. “I’ve learned my lesson about plumbing though,” she said. “Always call you immediately, not a half day later.”