handyman
Malfunctions and Repairs
“Why isn’t dinner ready yet?” demanded Laima’s Husband. “I skipped lunch today—we had tons of work to do; we were all very busy…all day long—and now I’m absolutely STARVING!”
“Something’s wrong with the cooker,” replied Laima. She placed her hand near the cooker plate with a pot of stew upon it.
“See, it’s not giving off much heat. Can you fix it?”
“Can I FIX it? Of course I CAN……but not now; I’ve got more important things to do.”
Laima’s Husband then went into the living room, opened his briefcase and began going over a whole bunch of documents and manuals.
As it turned out, the cooker wasn’t the only thing in house that wasn’t in proper working order.
After Laima had finished washing the dishes following dinner, she showed her Husband a dripping faucet.
“All right…I’ll have that fixed too,” he answered. I’ll get in touch with a plumber….
“…Oh by the way, is my blue suit ready? I’ve got a very important meeting with some very important clients tomorrow”.
“Yes dear, I’ve already washed and ironed it.”
“Great, darling. Thank you very much.”
Through it all Laima and her Husband kept their outdoor jackets on: the indoor air temperature nearly matched that outside. Why? The heater wasn’t functioning properly.
Several weeks went by and nothing changed—expect the thermometer reading, moving ever downward. Laima reminded her Husband of the need to have the household utilities repaired.
Finally he did do something about it. He explained to her that they’d just have to be patient; they were currently in the grips of financial uncertainty. They needed to take extra precautions with regards to money and watch every dime.
“But don’t worry—everything will be taken care of,” he reassured her. It was just that repairing these items were not high on the priority list at the moment, and that these repairmen charge a lot for their services. And at any rate, they would have to wait quite a while since they’re so busy.
And so Laima and her Husband adapted to their circumstances.
One afternoon, after having completed all her household duties, Laima paid a visit to her friend. Over coffee and cake they discussed the ins and outs of life.
Before leaving Laima mentioned about how her house seemed to be haunted by ghosts.
“Oh, it’s the same here—in fact much WORSE!” revealed her friend. She then went through a slew of problems she had had with her refrigerator….the electric wiring….burnt fuses…even a flooded kitchen floor.
Laima found that hard to believe.
“But everything looks so tidy and well-run here,” she said.
“Ah yes; that’s thanks to Vytautas. He takes care of everything!”
Vytautas, as her friend explained, was her coworker’s brother-in-law. Her friend then said she could arrange for him to come over to Laima’s house and assess the situation. He would then give a price estimate, and Laima could take it from there.
The following Tuesday, at 10:26, Vytautas showed in a blue technician’s coat and briefcase. Laima let him in and showed him all the defective items. Vytautas then opened his briefcase and took out an assortment of tools.
Going first to the water boiler, he opened it up and began examining the inside. Just then the phone rang. Laima went into her bedroom to answer it.
It was her friend. She said that Vytautas should be there in a few minutes. Laima told her that he already had…and the conversation drifted into another direction…..
Laima hung up the phone. The clock showed 10:58. She hurried back into the kitchen—to find Vytautas tightening the faucet with a wrench. He turned the tap. Then he turned it off. Not a single drop came out.
“Okay, how much will that be—along with the estimate for the heater and cooker?” asked Laima.
“Nothing. It’s all done,” he replied as he put his tools back in his briefcase and closed it.
“OH REALLY?!?!”
Laima went to the cooker and turned on the dial, and placed her hand over the plate. In a few seconds she began to feel the pulsation of intense heat—like it had months before. At the same time she noticed that the kitchen air was getting warmer.
“Why THANK YOU so much, Vytautas. Would you like some coffee and cake?”
“No thanks. I’ve got to go now. I’ve got other things to do.”
“Wait….can I…have your business card?”
“Uh, okay…here you are.”
Because both friends had been busy, it had been several months before they could get together again.
When they did, Laima told her friend how since their last meeting, her toilet, boiler and washing machine had gone awry. But once again, Vytautas saved the day.
“He’s simply MARVELLOUS! He’s absolutely MAGNIFICENT! You know, you’re absolutely right. He can fix anything! In a jiffy!”
1. Is Laima’s Husband a blue or white collar worker?
2. Her Husband is actually very good with his hands. True or false?
3. Why didn’t they call a repairman in the beginning and have everything fixed?
4. Laima learned about Vytautas from an advertisement. Yes or no?
5. Did Vytautas charge Laima for his services the first time?
A. Are you or do you know someone who is very good with their hands? What can you or they do?
B. How do technicians learn their craft? Do some have “natural ability”?
C. What is the average hourly rate for technical jobs (electrician, plumber, mechanic, computer repairer) in your city?
D. Is there a shortage of skilled labour in your area?
E. What is the attitude among young people and people in general about trade jobs?
