Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Step out and trust

About two weeks ago, there was a ring at the door and a guy offering to cut down/tidy up the side patch of garden.

Normally I wouldn't countenance such an offer, but given I've been under the weather and the task is rather large and given I recognise him as the guy who did a fine job clearing the jungle that existed in front of the bungalow across the road after it was sold.

But mostly I just feel ill and the offer of someone doing this for a very reasonable sum of money...well it seems like too good an offer to turn down.

He says he should be able to plug in electricity from across the road if I'm out.

In a spur of the moment decision, I decide I'm tired of not trusting people. So I insist he take the tenner upfront, despite his protestations. As I say as he leaves "ah, you've got an honest face, I'll trust you!".

And that was the last I heard.

Ah well, twas only a tenner, but a bit of a shame that an exercise in faith in human nature went so predictably awry. My thoughts turned to whether I would have the energy to attack it myself this weekend.

And then this evening...another ring at the door.

It's M and it's not clear who is more pleased to see the other. It turns out that he hadn't been able to get hooked up with electricity as he'd hoped.

He said he was beginning to worry that I was ok. He said he'd remembered I'd mentioned I wasn't well and the note he'd stuck through the door was still stuck where he'd left it (I hadn't seen it had got caught up in the letter box). He wasn't sure at what point he ought to raise the alarm.

He said he was also worried that I'd think he'd run off with the money and felt particularly bad given my last words to him.

So tomorrow, I'm leaving the garage unlocked whilst I'm at work so he can plug in and hopefully I should return home to both the tidiness of my side garden and my faith in human nature restored.

4 comments:

sally said...

and your garage will be tidy too..and very empty..oh go wash your mouth out, oh cynical one.....

1 i z said...

Ah Sally, you can tell you don't live in an inner city area...leave anything valuable in a garage (car excepted) - are you mad?

Caroline said...

aww bless. warmed the cockles of my heart. no seriously. it's great when that happens. i'm grinning for him - and for you.

Rainbow dreams said...

so is it all trimmed, pruned and tidy now?
Will think of you when we are busy tidying ours tomorow! :-)