Member-only story
DYI ISN’T ALWAYS THE BEST CHOICE
A Story That Begins With a Leaky Faucet.
The perils of procrastination and hubris combined with dementia
FEBRUARY
It started in February. The kitchen faucet became cantankerous, refusing to shut off, dripping until the handle was sharply twisted to the left.
As the person manipulating the faucet and washing cat and bird food dishes several times daily, stopping the drip was doable but annoying. I asked my husband to see if he could fix it.
No, I was told. The faucet is worn out and needs replacing. Twist the handle hard to the left, and the drip will stop.
MARCH
The faucet continued to drip. We exchanged heated words about his procrastination and my impatience.
Sal, I told you to twist the handle hard to the left. I was tired of hearing “twist the handle,’’ I wanted the apparatus replaced.
While we argued, the leak dripped through the sink cabinet flooring into the finished basement ceiling tiles. Two wet tiles crashed to the floor, startling me one evening.
Now, Mr. Procrastinator will call a plumber, or so I thought.
