Hot Water

In early June, as the first days of summer were hitting the triple digits in Houston, we suddenly found ourselves without hot water. It seems that our attic gets so intensely hot, that the gas flame of the hot water heater extinguishes itself as a safety precaution. It is possible to re-light it, but involves a tortuous process of climbing rickety attic stairs, maneuvering a maze of old boxes and suitcases in dim light, then holding down certain buttons in a certain pattern while counting to 60. But as if that were not daunting enough, we each had a deep and abiding fear of doing something wrong and thereby blowing the house and ourselves to bits. So we lived all summer with cool showers. (Houston's heat prevent us from ever really having cold water). As Devlin and I left Houston last week, my guilt at leaving Emily to her cool showers were tempered by my glee at knowing that hot ones would soon be in my future.

Well, Life has nothing , if not a sense of humor.. I am still in search of a hot shower. The water heater has been on the fritz ever since I arrived. At first it wasn't too bad. The water would run hot for about 8 seconds, then suddenly cool down for 8 seconds. Once I got the rhythm down, I knew when to step out from under the incoming cool droplets, and when to step back in. Not perfect, but better than what I'd been living with in Houston. However, yesterday we awoke to no hot water at all.

Luckily, there is one gentleman in the front office who speaks English. I explained the dilemma and he was responsive, promising to send a "friend" to check on it that very afternoon. The friend arrived late in the afternoon; his English was limited. My Turkish is even more limited. As he began to tinker with the water heater, he looked at me confidently and proclaimed, "No problem!" I had my doubts. I may not speak Turkish, but I have learned a bit about water heaters this sumer. I turned on the faucet, to check the temperature, and indeed, no hot water. Not even warm. He tinkered some more, and announces rather impatiently this time, "No Problem". We recheck the water. Still cold. Through hand signals & gestures I realize he needs a screwdriver, and I start looking for one. In an apartment 3 weeks old, we haven't accrued many tools, but luck is with me, and I find one. As he tears into the job, I relocate myself to the living room, to await the news. Not ten minutes later, he comes in, head shaking and use his remaining english vocabulary to announce: "Big Problem". He shows me a leak dripping water from some pipe, then points to the temperature gauge, giving a finger motion that goes in reverse. He validates what I already knew--we have no hot water.

A three way phone conversation between he, I and the English speaking apartment manager lets me know that it will be tomorrow before it can be fixed.

Jim grumbled at bit this morning at his 2nd day of cold showers. I nodded sympathetically, but a bratty kid voice inside my head said "Oh come on, we've gone all summer without hot showers!" Devlin didn't say anything, but then, he's probably not had enough time to get used to hot showers.

I am nothing if not optimistic. I am confident that if they said someone will come today, someone will come. It's only 1:00 in the afternoon. There is still plenty of time for a serviceman to show up. It's the 21st century, hot water should be a non- issue. And all the while, I imagine just how good that hot shower will feel.