Hick was kicked back in his recliner Friday night, after a hot day of working at his SUS2.5, stopping by the post office and bank for me, shooting the bull with his buddies, and taking a dip in POOLIO. He was waiting for me to drag myself around the kitchen with my hurt rumpus, and get out of the way so he could make his own supper.
It wasn't THAT hard, because he just had to open a storebought container of BBQ pulled pork, put some in a bowl to microwave, then slop it on a couple of hamburger buns. Oh, and get a dill pickle spear from a jar, and some Ruffles chips from the bag. Still, it's something that I usually do for him, but I was EXHAUSTED after making a trip to town and buying the buns. My rumpus was quite unforgiving.
At 6:30, Hick's phone rang. I didn't quite get the gist of it, except Hick kept repeating, "I'll be there Monday."
"Who was that? What are you doing Monday?"
"It's one of the old ladies at the apartments. She says her air conditioner isn't working. I told her we'd have to get somebody to fix it, and I'd be there Monday."
"She could DIE! Old people die all the time in this heat, in brick buildings! It's going to be in the 90s again all weekend."
"She has a fan. She kept saying, 'Well, I guess I'll just sit here and sweat by my fan.' And I thought, well, okay, you do that. I don't know what she wanted me to say. So I kept telling her I'd be there Monday to deal with it."
"I'm not sure that's enough. Doesn't she have people she can stay with? Family?"
"She can go sit in the lobby on that floor. It's air-conditioned. She don't even have to leave the building. I can't work on an air conditioner. I have to call the heating and cooling people."
"I guess that WOULD be hard to get somebody on a Friday night or weekend."
At 7:00, just as I called him into the kitchen as I was trying to sit down at the table with scratchers, Hick's phone rang again. He got up, and said he had to go to town.
"That was a lady at the apartments. She's locked herself out."
"I thought you were going to put a drop box there with a key."
"I AM, but I haven't had time to put it on the wall. So I'll go let her in."
It takes 20 minutes to get to the apartments. 20 minutes back. I was expecting Hick to be home around 7:50. His bedtime is usually around 8:00! Plus, he still needed to make his supper. Time dragged on. I figured maybe he had stopped to pick up fast food. At 8:25, Hick returned. With nothing.
"That was a long time just to unlock a door. I hope the AC Lady didn't see you there!"
"Oh, she did. I gave her another fan that we had there. I told her she should open up her windows and let some air in. It's cool right now. And I said she should go sit in the lobby if she's hot. That's where the Key Lady was waiting for me. She said it was plenty cool. I don't know if she will or not."
"Then another lady came out and started complaining about the little lady who just moved in. Said she has a mouth on her, and won't shut up, and has been knocking on doors, begging people for food."
"That's not your job! They're taking advantage of you!"
"Yeah. I ain't gettin' involved in that stuff. I want to say, 'If you can't get along, then maybe one of you should move somewhere else.' But I DID see that Little Lady getting a roll of toilet paper from one of her neighbors. So she might be a pest, asking for stuff. I don't think she's got nothin'. I might ask the cooks to give her some of those frozen meals they give people for the weekends. So she will at least not go hungry."
"This is the first of the month! And she's already out of money?"
"I don't know. She give me $700 for the rent. I'll see if they know somebody who can help her."
"So you went to town to unlock a door, but you also had two other ladies to deal with?"
"Yeah. I looked back at the old guy's notes, and he was charging them a $100 unlock fee if he had to go open their door. I'm not gonna charge anyone for that, but I need to get my key box done."
For the record, I'm still not keen on Hick having this job...
I agree with you. The more he does this job, the more he is running to town to fix, or deal with a problem of one sort or another, pushing a certain vehicle oil change further and further back. Not to mention, his lack of awareness of the discomfort you are in right now. He should be asking if there is anything he can do for you. I think it is noble of him to want to help out the renters and maybe he should be charging for going into to town to unlock the door. How is the lockbox going to work? Is there someone that is going to manage it or is he expecting these people to understand how it works and when the key comes up missing, then what? It isn't going to get better unless he puts his foot down with some of the shenanigans. I don't see this improving for him and definitely not for you. It's wonderful that he wants to be so helpful, but, sadly, some of these people have no one else and will drive Hick to an early grave, given the chance. Even Hick can't fix everything. Ranee
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about T-Hoe's oil change yesterday! When the warning light reminded me to CHANGE OIL SOON. At least Hick has been warming his own supper without complaining, although piling his trash in the wastebasket like a game of JENGA. I guess he doesn't realize a shooting back/leg pain makes bagging the trash uncomfortable. I usually bag, and he drives it to the dumpster the next morning as he leaves.
DeleteAccording to Hick, the lockbox is for first responders. That supposedly they have a key to unlock such a lockbox. So if somebody needs a welfare check, the police, EMTs, and firemen can get the door open, then put the master key back in the lockbox.
This would work for residents who haven't been seen for a few days, or if one of them falls and can't get up to get to the door. I don't know about plain old people forgetting their key. You don't want first responders tied up with unlocking somebody's door, but there IS a firehouse and police station a block away from the senior center.
OK that does make sense. There are still going to be the problem tenants with locking themselves out etc. But hopefully Hick will figure it out or he will let someone else have the "honor" of this job.
DeleteHick was boasting last night that he has ALL of the apartments rented now. It only made me think: Great. Even MORE people to lock themselves out.
DeleteI should think not.
ReplyDeleteHow dare Hick take a low-paying job to help people, when everybody knows it's ALL ABOUT ME, and I'm at the end of the line for Hick's do-gooding now!
DeleteA $100 unlock fee?? Robbery!! some people....ugh. I'm glad Hick went to unlock and give the other lady another fan. A bit troubling about the "begging" lady though, wonder what her story is?
ReplyDeleteMaybe that lady had to pay somebody to move her stuff, and with rent due, she might be out of money this month. She hasn't been there long, according to Hick.
DeleteI wonder if the old people could be talked into carrying a key around their neck on a chain big enough to loop over the heads.
ReplyDeleteSome of them would probably do it. But then I'd worry they might get choked with the chain. Problems have a way of finding them!
DeleteYou crack me up! I know in your heart you don't mind sharing Hick but this is definitely going to continue to intrude on his #1 lady - you! I more worry for someone already begging their neighbours for essentials :/
ReplyDeleteI enjoy having Hick out of the house, and not underfoot, so I don't feel obliged to entertain or cater to him. I would just like my issues taken care of promptly, and not six months later. Especially T-Hoe's problems, because I could be stranded in town, with Hick not checking his phone.
DeleteAt least Hick is going to make sure that lady has food available on the weekends. I guess she's on her own with procuring TP!