Fresh, issue 22, 2008
It was late when the phone rang. I answered, “Hello?” It was Joan, water was coming out of her roof and could I look at it right away!
Another wild goose chase, I thought. “Yeah, I’ll come. Give me five minutes.”
Auntie Joan, my mother’s widowed sister, lived not far away and frequently sought my assistance. However, I was never sure if she wanted my help or just my company.
Arriving at Joan’s place, she was waiting at the front door.
“Where’s this water then, Joan?”
“It’s around here.” She lead me through the carport to the dark side of the house. A crystal clear night, there were stars galore to be seen. Joan shone a torch up on to the roof and I could see water running down the tiles, dripping from the spouting.
“Where could it be coming from?” I asked, out loud. “Let’s have a look inside, Joan.” We retraced our steps.
I looked in vain for damp patches on the ceilings below the water on the roof.
“Maybe it’s the header tank,” I said. “Have you got a step ladder, Joan?”
From the ladder, I pushed up the ceiling hatch and, my head in the roof space, listened. I couldn’t hear anything, so shone Joan’s torch around, spotting the tank. Well away from the water on the roof, it couldn’t be the culprit.
At a loss to explain Joan’s leak, I thought I’d have another look around outside and ducked through the ranch slider at the rear of the house. To my amazement, on the back lawn was a sprinkler spraying water on the roof. I shook my head, Joan had got me again; she was the source of her own leak.
I turned off the sprinkler at the standpipe.
“I think you’ll be alright now,” I said to Joan as I went to put the kettle on.
Over a cup of tea in Joan’s sumptuous lounge I noted her satisfied look and guessed she was pleased to have had an entertaining evening. At least, I thought, She won’t try that trick again!
