STAIRS

‘I’ve got a plumbing emergency,’ I said when I’d reached the bottom of the stairs. ‘My boiler was pouring water the other night and I had to get them in to fix it, they’ve sent someone round a couple of times I’ve missed, and you know what they’re like...’
‘You could wait for weeks or even months for them to do anything,’ she said. ‘Like I had to to get my shower back working.’
‘I’ve got no hot water, haven’t had for a few days.’
I said that I’d left my number in my letterbox so they could give me a ring if they called.
‘You happy with that?’ she said.
‘Not really. I don’t want just anyone getting my number...you know, a neighbour or someone...’ shudder at the thought.
‘Come back if you can,’ she said. ‘But I’m not desperate today.’
The man and woman I’d seen talking in the laundry were stood by the bottom lift door as I passed.
‘It’s not working,’ I said. ‘They had it open on the top floor a few minutes ago.’
I walked through into the corridor...
‘You sure the other one’s working?’ said the man. ‘It wasn’t the other day.’
...out the far end.
‘Well, I hope so,’ I said and pressed the button, the door opened, ‘Looks like it,’ I said.
The man, who like the woman was carrying a laundry basket full of clothes, said, ‘I got a ticket other day parked on a double yellow line outside...’
‘What down there?’ I said meaning the bottom of the flats, where time’s restricted.
‘No,’ he said. ‘Outside the Hillview. Silly really there was a space and it was tipping down with raining. I just popped in to change my clothes and the lift wasn’t working so I had to walk up four floors...’
‘It’s hard work, isn’t it, climbing up those stairs?’ I said.