It won’t get far...

So the other day I was waiting on the painter to show up.  I will not mention any names to protect the innocent.  But he didn’t, show up that is, for two days.  When we finally heard from him, he said he had an emergency that took him out of town for a day or two. This is not so unusual with home construction workers, but this time the excuse was one I had not heard before.

 

Background: This painter is not your everyday run of the mill handy man.  He is very quiet, when he works and when he speaks in a very calm voice. His work is excellent and he is impeccably neat.  I have taken to calling him the “immaculate contractor”, it would almost seem the place is cleaner when he leaves than when he arrived.  It is unusual that we would not hear from him for two days since he is also extremely reliable. He now lives here in the greater LA area but grew up in a little California town an hours drive away. 

So when we finally heard from him, this was his story.  It seems that over the week end he got a call that his pet tortoise had escaped the compound of his childhood home.  Quickly the painter left his evening job and drove back to his home town. After a couple of days searching they found the 60 year old tortoise unharmed.  It was a panic because the tortoise was a long time pet,  rescued by the painter decades ago after it survived a house fire. It was found in the rubble of the burned out house as they were clearing up the ashes.  One leg was burned off and the edge of his shell was burned and deformed as well.  It was a “special needs” tortoise.   A nephew left in charge of the pet had not checked on him in a couple of days before the “escape”.   

Yes that is the reason he was out of communication for a few days, an original story among contractor stories.  

Now my wife is known as a dancer/singer and not so much as a comic.  However, when we discussed the reason the painter gave for not showing up she said, “Looking for his three legged turtle? Well, it won’t get far. He should be back to work soon.” 

Slam dunk, best line of the day. And she was right... he is back to work today.  

As you were,

Jay