I suppose I still owe him for that, even now!
You might say Id been something of a home renovator in my time. Id made a tidy living at it, turning what started as a hobby into a rather profitable enterprise. Every so often, family would come round asking for a hand with a bit of DIY or minor repairs. One day, I received a phone call. I picked up, and it was my cousin ringing up. He told me he needed a spot of help.
He asked if I could start on the work in a few days, suggesting I might have some free time. Of course, I could hardly refuseId always lend a hand to family if I was able. As it happened, hed already bought and had delivered all the materials needed for the fix-up, so the moment I arrived, I rolled up my sleeves and got on with it. Theres real satisfaction in the work, and Ive always enjoyed the job.
Taking money from family? Never liked it. My cousin offered to pay, but I turned him down flat. The place was transformed after the repairsanyone could see as much! We finished up in about a fortnight. Once all was done, there were a few odds and ends left, mostly old bits piled in the hallway, destined for the tip. Thats when my cousin suggested something.
“You could probably find a use for all this,” he said. “Pop it in your garage for now. Who knows, you might find a need for it with your own projects or a client. Save you a bit of money.” So, I decided to take the leftover materialstiles, laminate, a few slabs, tins of paint. There was always room in the garage, and I enjoyed tinkering with what I had.
Later, I decided itd be best to make things clear with my cousin, so we had a proper chatthank heavens Id made a note of our conversation in my phone. What he said, looking me straight in the eye, rather surprised me. Heres what he said, as best as I recall:
“It’s just something I do for fun,” he said. I thanked him, and we both agreed that was that. By the evening, the last of the repair work was finished. I got rid of the building wastesome at the local tip, the rest in my garage for storage. We had a quiet drink to celebrate the end of the job, and then I made my way home.
Next day, everything seemed perfectly ordinary until about two in the afternoon, when my cousin rang again. “Afternoonabout those building materials,” he began, “I reckon you owe me for them. Shame to see them go for nothing! Those planks are good, and that laminates really something. You could sell the tiles, too. Would it suit to transfer the money to my card?”
To say I was taken aback would be an understatement. Hed only said the evening before that wed speak again about the job, but even after he was finished, he hadnt called back. I must admit, I was left in a bit of a daze.
Now Ive no idea what to say to him. How should I bring it up? After all, I helped him for nothing. Those leftover materials were as good as destined for the tip; no one wouldve bought them. Hed thought to bin them himself, then suddenly offers them to meand now wants paying for them. Ought I to send him a bill for the repairs?
