Chapter Ten
Joaquin
Eryx left me in charge. After learning that I’d worked on other types of construction, he asked that I keep track of the other trades.
Not telling them what to do but letting him know that everything went smoothly.
He called a couple of times a day and asked if the plumber showed up or if the electrician was getting things done.
He’d hoped to come back quickly, but he said he wasn’t sure how long it would be to take care of “things.” I waited, quietly, but he didn’t say more about what was going on.
He had told me that he had some loose ends to tie up, but no more detail than that, and although we spoke many times, it was never about what those loose ends were.
Attorneys probably had to be cautious of their clients’ privacy, so I didn’t push.
What a change it must be from being a big-shot lawyer to remodeling a theater that had been abandoned for decades in a small town. I understood passion projects, but in choosing mine, I hadn’t had to give up something that could keep me in luxury.
“Excuse me, Joaquin, I’m going to have to turn off all the water to the building for a couple of hours if that’s convenient?” The plumber was wet up to his knees, and he had a streak of mud on his cheek.
“Well, no, it’s not convenient.” When was it convenient to have no source of water in a building? “But I’m sure you won’t have it off any longer than necessary.”
“Absolutely.”
Unfortunately, the plumber underestimated how bad some of the pipes concealed in the wall were. “They’re crumbling,” he growled when I asked how much longer. “If I turn it on, the walls will be soaked through in five minutes.”
So great.
The phone rang just then, and I didn’t have to look at my screen to guess who was calling. “Hi, boss.”
The plumber shook his head. “Don’t say anything,” he hissed.
I hit mute. “I have to tell him. He could come back anytime, and if I lie, he’ll be mad at both of us, and rightfully so.”
He held up his hands and stepped back.
“Sorry,” I mouthed. “Everything is okay, here.”
Eryx grunted. “Well, glad it is somewhere. I hoped to be back tomorrow, but that’s not happening.”
“I’m sorry to hear it.”
“Now, you want to tell me why you sound funny? Is the electrical worse than we thought?”
“No, the electrical seems to be going smoothly.” I could say that in all honestly. As I told the plumber, I couldn’t lie. But if he didn’t ask…did I need to tell him? If he wasn’t returning the next day, it should be fine, right?
The plumber was starting to look relieved.
Which he shouldn’t have, because the next question the savvy attorney asked showed he was too smart for both of us. “So, it must be the pipes that are worrying us.”
Us.
“As it turns out, there was more damage in the walls than we hoped. Or the water is off until the morning.”
“Plumber there?”
“Yes.
“Put him on.”
For the next few minutes, the plumber, Jamie, was answering questions, but when he handed me back the phone, he didn’t look too shaken.
“Hi, Eryx. All taken care of.”
“Yes. I wish there was not so much to take care of, but I budgeted for overages and I think we’re still on track that way. I haven’t thanked you enough for everything you’ve done. You’re making my life easier.”
“Well, I still have most of my work to do, so you can thank me later if you still feel the same.”
“You’ve had a lot of responsibility. It will get done. I have a meeting to get to, but I’ll speak with you later.”
With the other trades settled in and doing their thing, I got started on my job. The first wall, painted a soft cream, was already done and it looked so naked. It seemed a waste to have a blank canvas like that.
I started the opposite wall, and by the time it was nearly done, the other workers were putting away their tools to go home for the day.
I sat in the back row and looked at the work I had done.
It was neat and tidy and boring as hell.
There were different colors planned for other parts and other theaters.
Maybe just a small drawing in the corner would be all right?
I found a pencil and sketched a lion. Just one small beast, and then I grabbed a stack of cups from the snack bar and filled them with paint from different cans. I finagled finer brushes than the ones provided. And I set to work.