Five Minute Freewrite: Measure It
Every trade has its own secret. That was the harsh truth Julia was meant to understand few days ago. Julia usually goes to work on time and returns late. Most times she hardly take notice of some faulty appliances and gadgets in her house until it becomes necessary to use them. That was exactly what happened to her few days ago.
When Julia returned from work, late as usual, she went to her kitchen to prepare a light dinner. But before that she went to the kitchen sink to wash some mangoes she bought on her way home. That was when she saw some water dropping from the base of the tap. She knows that all was not well. This has been happening for how long now, she wondered.
She went downstairs and turned off the tap from the side locks. That way she will prevent more damage to her apartment and the building generally. The next morning she invited a plumber to come and have a look at it.
The plumber gave an estimate of the things to buy and Julia told him that she will get them for the him. On her way back she stopped at a building materials shops and bought the things the plumber had written for him. She however forgot to measure it as suggested by the owner.
That same evening the plumber came around to fix the damaged tap. As he was going through the materials bought by Julia he spotted one and told Julia that it was not up to the length he wants for the job. Julia did not measure it herself. It was the man that sold it to him that did so and he assured her that the measurement was correct. Julia was surprised. She knows that the plumber gave her the exact quotation but now he is saying a different thing entirely.
It was when she went back to get the exact length of the pipe that the seller then told her that those were the little secrets of these tradesmen. It was because he wasn't the person that bought the materials himself, that's why he decided to reject the one bought by her saying that it was not up to the length required for the job.
A Five Minute Freewrite: Measure It