Thursday 19 April 2012

Bleary-eyed and blue

Did I say 'it never rains but it pours' yesterday?  Guess what - it gets even more melodramatic. 

Last night, being tired and stressed, I went to bed fairly early.  I was woken from a deep sleep at 11.30pm by the unmistakable sounds of someone moving around downstairs in the house.  I was alone, it was pitch dark, I was disorientated and terrified, almost paralysed with fear for a moment.  I forced myself to get out of bed, put on my glasses and put on the light, and I went onto the landing as noisily as I could and called out 'Who's there?' loudly.

It turned out to be Emil, my landlady's daffy Polish handyman, delivering tools and equipment for some of the planned renovation work.  I went back to bad, shaking with shock and adrenalin, and couldn't get back to sleep until 3am.  This morning I texted my landlady to ask what was going on and was told that Emil is starting the first parts of the renovation work (installing a second toilet under the stairs) next week.

She has never paid any attention to the stipulation in the tenancy agreements I and all the other tenants have had about always notifying us and agreeing an acceptable time for a visit; she and her plumbers and odd-job men have always just rocked up unannounced and let themselves in (the previous handyman even used to come into the house to use the loo if he was passing through the area, rather than going to the public toilets near Sainsburys). 

But this was a really unpleasant experience that left me feeling very vulnerable, threatened and pressured.  I feel it's bordering on full-on harrassment.  So I am going to have to go back to the Citizens' Advice Bureau this afternoon to try and get more specialist advice on my position.  

Dear God, please solve this for me; I am not doing too well at solving it by myself.  I need help.

2 comments:

wanderer said...

I just popped in say hello and draw your attention to ENO's Flying Dutchman and that redhead heldon-hunk Stuart Skelton who is garnering glowing reviews for his performance of Erik, only to find you distressed and rightly so. May the forces of good be with you. Best of luck.

Imogen said...

And I have just managed to get out of my accommodation pickle, only to find I am not going to be able to get to see the Dutchman anyway because I am going to see my mother for a long weekend. Rats and double rats! My only excuse is that I didn't even know Skelton was singing until after this production opened - they initially advertised someone Very Much Less exciting.
Hope this finds you well among the kangaroo paws, Wanderer, and thanks for dropping by!