It takes a moment for the sound of silence to register. Arriving home after a most pleasant evening, I turned the water tap, which was followed by an unexpected nothing. In our absence our water vanished.
The problem with city kids accustomed to city services is you take utilities for granted. Move to the country, become king of your very own kingdom and suddenly supplying water, heat and sewer take on real significance. Before ratiocination sets in you think the worst. Is the well empty? Where was I when I last had water? What was I doing? Was anything different? Who do you call?
In the morning I phoned Mr. Well Fixit, who knows his business like no one else, a trained pro at spreading gloom. "Have you tried...? Go to the hardware store pick up a switch, replace it and if it doesn't work give me a call. It's my busy season, I may be able to get out early next week."
Now close your eyes and visualize turning off your water for a week. Drinking water, laundry, sanitation, showers, clean up, all gone. It took trips to 5 hardware stores to find the part I needed as there are few wells in Mayberry. I installed said switch. It did not solve my problem, but it bought Mr. Well Fixit another day for our desperation (willingness to pay) to deepen.
I called him back. " Well, if the weather holds I may be able to get there late the day after tomorrow." In fact, he arrived the next morning, most probably, so we could ladle our appreciation on thick.
Forget all the well digger jokes you've heard. Water is important. Willingness to pay the piper increases as time expands, and my did we pay. I'm off to shower now. Have a great weekend.
toad
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6 comments:
A very LONG shower is in order. Cheers to modern plumbing in all its variants.
ugh. you have my sympathies, sir.
Life looks a bit better when you are clean. I hope to not become warm personal frequent friends with Mr. Well. I couldn't afford it, although recent experience has made me consider water based charities a bit more closely.
My daughter is involved in an organization called, Charity Water. They raise money to supply third world nations with clean drinking water. It's hard to believe such a basic need is still an intangible for many in the 21st century.
Tell me about it. I spent my entire young married life in Michigan dealing with well water, septic tanks and fields (said tanks overflowing), hard water, no water, no toilets, whatever. With three kids.
Been there, done all that, glad it's over Toad.
What Barbara said, entire young married life, yes. And, remember that smell? You thought everything was ok since Mr. WellFixit had just recently been around, but you opened the spigot to rinse off your face/dish/child and up came that rotten eggs smell, just no mistaking it. From there, husband goes out to the little well pump shed, it lies lowwww to the ground, he tinkers, frets, he cusses. Got to call Mr. WellFix back, got no choice.
Like yesterday it was.
-Flo
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