The Wall and the Oven

When hubby was around, I thought I did most of the work.  He would be watching TV when I left the house to fetch the kids for gymrama, swimming, art class and whatnot, and he would be in the exact same position when I returned.  In between I would be rushing for work deadlines while he didn't have them as a business owner.  I was the one who went to the market for food supplies, the supermarket for more food and other consumables.

However when he was gone, I realise that I depended on him more than I thought.  Like I didn't have to bother about the house or the cars.  I had to push down the panic when multiple things seemed to happen - power blackouts, leaking taps, his car battery going flat, my car making strange sounds, the washing machine malfunctioning, the overhead lights in my apartment burning out.  I didn't even know the number to call to get cooking gas.  One day I noticed the back wall was collapsing.

A widening crack

Before I knew it, I was in the middle of a major-ish repair job.  

Bricks and sand

I had never dealt with contractors before.  He gave a quote of rm20k, then increased it by 1k when he knocked down the wall and apparently only then noticed it was red brick which costs more.  Some tiles were broken by the lorry delivering the bricks.  The contractor said the ground underneath had shifted and it was hollow, quoted another 20k to dig everything up and make things right.  Sigh I was so not up to all this!  Told him I had no more money.  

The work took 3 weeks.  In between, he said the drain was broken and recommended fixing it for another 5k.  I said no, then he left a long phone message that he sympathised with me since I didn't have a man to take care of things, he didn't want me to have a tough time having more problems etc etc.  I had zero idea if he was fleecing me blind.  Agreed to this as the last item.

All rubble

When the wall was done, I realised it was much lower than the old wall.  I couldn't look over it before and now I could, easily.   The contractor provided some long explanation again.  Fortunately he eventually agreed to raise it.  The wall looks all right now.  I addressed the air/sky/my hubby... "I got it fixed!  Are you proud of me?"  Hubby must have known about the wall and decided it didn't require immediate action.  It might have lasted a few more years.  I just... panicked.

While the wall drama was going on, the oven was providing a side story.  The old oven was giving electric shocks and the thermostat was shot.  After I located a shop selling ovens, multiple messages and visits to measure the space happened before a suitable replacement model was found. Then when the technician came to install it, the new oven was also giving electric shocks.  Another couple more visits and tests before it was discovered the wall socket wasn't earthed.  Luckily the shop had an electrician I could contact. 

Hacking wall to drag the wire from another socket

I guess it's not a matter of things suddenly requiring attention, it's that hubby had been managing them as they happened.  I appreciate him more now.  And must take over what he used to handle.