The Hidden Washing Machine and 'Generous' Neighbours.

Day 13 - 25th August 2013

Today I was at base station for 8am.  I am on a mission.  I will not be able to go there for a few days due to promising to take the kids to the cinema and various other things I had promised for the holidays. It just dawned on me there are only 7 days left before the big 'back to school .

As this mission is SO huge I have decided the best thing is to clear outside first so things can be brought out from the house to sort.  I moved a pile of logs so that it was safe to open the door and step outside with a large item/box of stuff/whatever.  Underneath the logs was ...... a washing machine. 

'WTF' as the kids would put it.  I recognised it as the one which was replaced in 2003.  Yes, it has been there TEN years.  Why would anyone in their right mind KEEP a broken and rusty washing machine once they have already replaced it - especially right outside their back door?  I would want it 'ORF MY LAAND' post haste.  He has even covered the thing with some tarpaulin type arrangement which was how I had missed finding it before.  I rang the council who are currently booking collection slots for three weeks time.  I added it to the 2 armchairs and the microwave, all of which have been there for at least ten years.  All covered in bits of wood and half logs.  

It would appear that all the neighbours have been bringing their scrap wood and old furniture to him for years in the misguided belief that they were doing an old man a favour and providing logs for his fire (either that or he has been skip pilfering).  Any neighbours who are reading this and are guilty of that one PLEASE STOP IT - AND STOP IT NOW.  He has enough logs to fill the Albert Hall.  He has already set his chimney on fire once about two years ago (due to not getting it swept in 20 years at a guess).  He told me about this 'minor mishap' a few days later.  The chimney was well ablaze and he was trying to put it out with buckets of water.  He did not call the fire brigade he says because he did not want to have water damage in his house!  Is fire damage not worse?  The truth, I suspect is he did not want the firemen to condemn the house.

So all the plaster is cracked in the bedroom from the fire and still I don't think the chimney has been swept.

I took 3 large bags of wood bits to the wood recycling skip today.  My poor little car - it is a little Toyota Rav 4.  It is like a life size Tonka toy.  The boot is barely big enough for a lipstick.  However with the back seats folded down we got a lot in it.  The chappie at the skip commented - 'Nice car, I like the dragon sticker'.  I think the chappie was letching a bit as I noticed afterwards that my fly was undone.

I decided it would be a good idea to clear the outhouse - a brick building about 4ft x 6ft so that we could put things from inside such as wellies and paint and just 'stuff' in it.  It may seem daft to clear outside when the inside is screaming for help but if it starts raining, unless I have a space to sort then I am stuck. (Remember I can't go inside to sort due to major asthma-inducing dust allergies).

I asked my brother to start clearing the outhouse (the coalhouse).  He removed three large squashed cardboard boxes, an old shirt and a few old pairs of tights and then stopped and wandered round the garden.  I asked him what was the matter.  He said he was worried he would get shouted at for throwing out the cardboard because 'dad sometimes uses it to light the fire'. I realised this whole clear up thing makes him very uncomfortable as our dad has an evil temper and as he lives with him, my poor brother gets the sharp end of it.  At least I can get away.  I asked a further three times for him to clear it before realising it was quicker to just pull everything out myself.  I did this, got covered in a cloud of dust and spiders and had to get out.  I don't mind spiders at all - little ones, leggy ones, big juicy ones - just as well really the size of the little six legged beasties which leaped out at me today.

In the coalhouse were several of my clothes from when I was a teenager, my old school bag, more of my mum's tights (my mum passed away in 1994!), a welly which was so disintegrated I was able to rip it open with my hands, string, bags,cardboard, spiders, spiders and mores spiders (sorry Tan).  I really believe he has never thrown anything out ever.

An aside here - I lied above.  One time I went to visit him at home (pre-fall) and the old stick was well riled and in a huff.  He was very upset that he had been told off.  Apparently he had gone to the local shops and had put an amount of garden clay in a carrier bag in the lampost bin' outside the post office.  Someone told him he should not be doing that (evidently not the first time then) because they had campaigned long and hard for the bin to keep the area clean from litter and they were none too happy with him filling it up.  His argument was the bin was for public use and he was a member of that public.  He was extremely put out by the attitude of the person - what right did they have?......

Mental note to disguise myself if I ever have to go out in public with him.  The question 'How come he had a bag of garden clay at the shop?' remains unanswered apart from him believing that the council would not take it if he put it in his bin. (not that it could have been disguised by rubbish on top).

So at 2pm I was reminded of the time.  As is usual for me I had forgotten to eat anything all day.  I had an hour and a half to go home, wash, eat, nip to Morrisons for a salad for tea, print off the DVLA form, take it to dad in the hospital and get to work.

I hurriedly packed up the rubbish and came home via Morrisons, I picked up salads for tea in work, came home, printed the form, had a wash and headed for the hospital.  I got to the ward at about 2.35.  Dad was asleep.  I poked him.  He was well irritated to be woken up.  'Do you want me to sit up?' he said.

'Well I can talk to you better if you do' I waited for him to sit up.  He started to drift off again.

'Dad - I have got the form for you to sign.  I went to Tesco. got some printer ink and printed it off the computer for you'.

'Oh right' he says, 'I better sign it for you then' and he made an overly gigantic effort to sit up. 'Right, where do you want me to sign?' - Like he was doing ME a favour - and not a word of thanks.

I told him I would have to leave really soon and I had just come in to bring him the church newsletter as he had asked and the form to sign.

'But you have only just got here'.

'Yes dad - I have been at the house since eight this morning and I didn't realise what the time was.  I have to go to work for three thirty as I am working until 9.30 tonight'.

'Yes its amazing how time flies when you're enjoying yourself'.

I stood to leave.

'When will I see you next?' he says

'Tuesday evening'

'yes Tuesday - when?'

'Tuesday evening'

blank stare

'T u e s d a y   E v e n i n g   d a d.   T u e s d a y   e v e n i n g'

'Tuesday - yes what time'

'IN THE EVENING - TUESDAY EVENING - I will be out in the day so I will come in the EVENING'

'what about the evening?'

AAAAAAAARRRRRggggghhhhhhh

He hobbles to the ward desk to watch me walk down the corridor.

I don't look back.