I’m fixing a hole where the rain gets in

I had already begun grumbling away to myself on the tram home. How did a week’s holiday go so quickly? And look at this rain! It never rains in Berlin I’m sure. Okay, we did have that one day, but it was different rain, less wet and annoying – this is evil hard rain. Sigh. And tomorrow it’s back to work. I’m sure people in Berlin don’t really need to actually work. They just turn up in the early afternoon and while away the hours until cocktail time. I marched off the tram in a private huff and made my way to my flat. Maybe there’ll be letters waiting for me I thought optimistically. A valentine’s card that had gone astray or that birthday card my sister promised me months ago. Alas, all that was there to greet my soggy arrival was a bank statement and some post for my Ex Occasionally Better Half. Even after moving out over half a year ago he still manages to get more post than I do.

My self pity reached a crescendo when I felt another drop on my head. Not so strange considering the atrocious rain. Except now I was inside my house. I looked up to see a pathetically stained ceiling and a tiny little waterfall flowing down into my hall. Right, this is a sign that I should still be on holiday I declared to myself. I shouldn’t have to deal with such irritations. My moaning quickly developed into wondering just who would one ring to sort this out. I am completely useless when it comes to DIY and manly house issues. A plumber perhaps! They usually deal with all things water-related I remembered, although then again they don’t normally arrive with a ladder to get on the roof. In the good old days my Ex OBH would have scrambled up there himself to have a peek around and fix the hole while I stayed safely below, unable to even look upwards while busily saying numerous prayers that he wouldn’t fall off.

And then it came to me. All of a terrific sudden the voice of reason spoke. Quit your moaning. Accept you’re home and had a great time and get on with your life. You can’t always be on holiday. Stop with your feelings of inadequacy and deal with the problem at hand. You can do it! You’re a man – act like one. It was like I had turned into a whole team of cheer-leaders – I almost did a dance I got so caught up in my enthusiasm. Yeah, look at me fixing problems I thought proudly, I don’t need anyone else and I ran to the kitchen for a bucket which I promptly placed underneath the leak.

I stood back admiring my handiwork with growing pride. Easily saved €80 there by not calling a plumber. That’s €80 I can put towards my next trip away I realised with glee.