About six weeks ago, my husband and I purchased a jacuzzi bathtub that’s designed to fit in a corner. It’s 60 inches by 60 inches and it has twelve jets. There are two corner recesses with three jets each along the back, one jet on each side and then two jets opposite the corner seats which are perfect for soothing aching feet. It’s a lovely bathtub. I spend as much time as possible soaking in it.
Of course, plumbing the tub was a task more monumental than my husband was willing to take on and so we hired some plumbers to come in and get the job done right.
The master plumber sent over two young chaps and, from the moment they started working, I was entertained. It was like watching a well-rehearsed comedy show. Except it wasn’t. They were for real.
I stood in the guest bathroom curling my hair while they worked one morning. The more outgoing of the two liked to bark orders: “Go get my wrench out of my truck. And hurry up!” The soft-spoken plumber ambled lazily to the truck, rooted half-heartedly in the tool box and ambled back into the bathroom, holding out a wrench.
The blustery plumber took one look at it and his eyes bulged a little. “Not that wrench, you dimwit! The other wrench. I swear. You’re just about useless!”
Unfazed, the soft-spoken plumber ambled back to the truck, chose another wrench and took his time making his way back to the bathroom. “It’s about time!” puffed the blustery plumber. “I could have had this job finished in the time it took you to get here!”
Occassionally, the soft-spoken plumber would quietly disappear. The blustery plumber would quizzically glance around the room, swear a little, and march out the front door in search of his seemingly unmotivated partner. Usually, the wayward plumber would walk back in the house and set about working on the tub whilst his frustrated co-worker searched high and low. Blustery plumber would walk back in, do a double take when he realized his search had been for naught and bellow, “Where the hell’ve you been?” Soft-spoken plumber would just shrug and keep working. Blustery plumber turned a little red in the face and muttered angrily under his breath.
The constant tension between them would have bothered me if I hadn’t seen them leaning against their trucks, laughing and talking at the end of the day as if they were the best of friends. I figured it was just their way. But I must tell you that I was not too impressed with their intellect.
My opinion changed the day they came to install the water faucets on the tub. Blustery plumber politely asked me where I would like the faucet and handles installed. I asked him to place the handles on the side of the tub and the faucet in the corner closest to the handles. He nodded and set about installing the handles as I left him to do his work while I loaded the dishwasher in the kitchen.
I was surprised a few moments later when he appeared in the door way with his hat in his hand and a slightly embarrassed look on his face. I looked at him questioningly and he said, “Um, Miz —-, I’m not trying to get all up in yours and your husband’s bizness or anythang. But this here corner of this tub, where you want the faucet installed? Well, it’s one of the corners with jets. And seeing how this is a two person tub, I thought I should point out that, if one of you’ns is sittin’ here and the other is sittin’ there . . . well, someone is gonna have a faucet in their back.”
He sheepishly looked at his feet and twisted his hat in his hands as he finished his spiel. We were both quiet for a moment and then I told him, “I think it’s a good idea to put the faucet in the corner without jets. What do you think?” He smiled, “Yes, ma’am!” and jauntily sauntered back down the hall to install the faucet.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve prayed blessings on his head for his insight. And to think I ever questioned his intellect. He may not have been the sharpest knife in the drawer but he certainly understood the concept of a jacuzzi built big enough for two.
