The Handyman

Is He Handy?

Have you ever hired a handyman? Most of them complete the job and bam they are gone, and then there are the other 10%. Phone call after phone call. Yes, he says, I’ll be there tomorrow. Or give me five minutes and I’ll be right there. Then he doesn’t show up. Frustration sets in, that frustration turns to desperation as a year goes by and the project isn’t completed yet. In the photo above is my husband, Gary. He is my favorite handyman.

The Waiting Game

The waiting game begins. Texts, phone calls, nothing seems to work. It is as if the guy doesn’t have any intention of finishing the job.

His materials and tools sit in our home patiently waiting for him to return and finish the job.

He has already been paid for most of the job and doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to complete it and be done. What is the matter with him? Does he have no sense of decency? Has he no shame?

Be Careful Who You Hire

Looking back, he was recommended by someone we know, maybe checking his website and looking at reviews could have given us a heads up to his character. In hindsight it appears as if we should have gone in a different direction. A slight miscalculation on our part. 

Waiting patiently for a telephone call, our days are endless. We cannot make plans or go anywhere. He may call, show up and actually do some work. Or maybe not as the day fades into night with no phone call and no handyman in sight.

Frustration turns into anger. Our next texts to him are sharp and to the point. He seems to take no notice and goes about his business. He says, yes, I’ll be there around one, two at the latest. Our hopes go up, we watch the clock. One o clock rolls around and he isn’t here. So, maybe two will be the magic number. Two o clock comes and goes, silence remains, the handyman once again a no show.

The Next Step

What do we do? What is our next step? Our irritation explodes as he once again says he cannot make it to finish the job the next week because he is sick. The next week turns into the next month. We send him texts; he still cannot be sick. He is not answering our texts. Ignoring our questions. Finally, he gets back to us assuring he will be there within the week. 

Seriously

^{He arrives and sits down to chat for an hour then heads in to do some work. A half an hour later he states he is leaving. A confused look crosses our face as he just arrived a half hour ago. Surely, he is not serious. But, once again he heads out the door. We look at the unfinished project wondering just what he accomplished. It looks the same as before he arrived. No further work has been done.}

No Plan Whatsoever

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We slowly realize he has no plan, no agenda. He does not intend on completing the job. He is the most unhandy handyman we have ever encountered. He avoids and tries to excuse his behavior. Filling us with empty platitudes and promises. His words of assurance have no meaning. We believe in him no longer.

What is the ending here? How do we recoup and begin again? Saving face is no longer an option for him. He lies with an ease. His promises have no meaning, and his words echo loudly in our ears.

Here We Sit

So, we sit with our unfinished project, tools scattered across the floor. Left unattended and unwanted. An unoccupied, desolate room. Eerily similar to the rooms look before he started the job. We wander aimlessly about the room with a feeling of urgency, of a job half done. Do we dare contact him again? Is there the slightest chance he will return with a renewed vigor. Eager to finish what he started. Or is this all in our head. The need to believe is deep down inside us- of decency and respectability. 

Whatever happened to pride in a job well done. Apparently, this is not in our handyman’s vocabulary. He doesn’t speak this language. He is elusive and evasive. Sliding in and out of our home slippery as an eel. Accomplishing nothing, his back to us as he heads out the door once again. His stride is purposeful, as if he has the utmost important meeting he must attend. He is unhurried and unemotional, leaving us with a wave of his hand and a promise of his return the next day.

The waiting game continues with no end in sight. He is not a handyman, but rather a ghost, a phantom and a charlatan. Be careful who you hire. Choose wisely. Do research before hiring. It could save headaches and inconvenience.

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Unless of course waiting endlessly is something you enjoy.

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