GET GONE
The Beginning of an End to a Beginning
by Eduardo

    I've just nipped next door to the neighbour to ask if she will do some ironing if I take a black over once a week.  I would rather give money to someone in my environment that needs, than some agency.   That's how I managed to re-build the deserted and boarded up grot hole that existed here before, into this beautiful place.
When I first looked at this well situated four bed semi, my first reaction was no way.  While the area is very up and coming and location is perfect for everything, the property!  Iron boarding, vandalised and used by squatters or druggie's over the past few years and the gardens!   Piled about fifteen feet high in rubbish in this big rear part and a heap in the front.
I turned to Eliza and shook my head in grave doubt of having the expertise, money and ability to achieve anything from this dilapidated place. She was so insistent, pointing out the great location, such a good investment for our future and reminding me of how handy I was with repairs.  I think the one that did it for me was when she said how good it would be for Liam when he leaves school, as the universities around here are excellent.  At that time her future plan was to only live here some of the time and have a place abroad in the sun.  So the idea of doing all this for Liam's future was appealing and I reluctantly agreed to take it on.
  The next part was to decide how to achieve this very major property re-build. The first thought was to bring a specialist building company in to do everything and even had a time scale quote from a couple of them. Getting that special touch of detail was going to be very difficult without hands on involvement and builders don't like that much interference. So I looked at the very local labour pool for any property odd job people who might want work.
There were plenty of young strong lads who would love the opportunity to work but none with any expertise in property repairs, let alone a major re-build.
Eliza and I discussed this and we decided that I would take charge and just issue advice and orders to them all. My disability obviously made it impossible to be physically involved. The big benefit would be to the local community a month before christmas and three months work on their doorstep, would be a greatly appreciated benefit.
So I located the local manor boy and made him an offer. Within days there was a full crew of about five strong willing lads. It did not matter who or where they were from, each one realised from day one that every one was equal on this job and they would be respected for what they did, not as society possibly judged some on what they may have done.
It was a very happy and excited crew I can tell you.  None of them had experience, yet by the time this masterpiece was finished, they knew how to do everything.  Some were able to buy christmas presents for their family for the first time in years. So it goes without saying not only was I the Don on the block but, they worked with absolute intent to excel out of sheer heartfelt gratitude. Of all the places I've done up, this one gave me the greatest satisfaction.  Seeing the benefit and its effects into the local community was worth everything to me.  Feeling that respect and loyalty from these lads made one walk tall.  It was possibly one of the most difficult but most enjoyable projects I have ever undertaken.

  Sixteen huge skips came out of this place, rubbish from the loft alone filled one skip!  Tons of sand, cement and plaster went in along with a huge h-beam girder, lorry loads of wood, piles of plaster board and a barrow full of tea bags!  What a building site it looked like.  They came from streets around to nosey at what was happening.  One old lady even negotiated the planks covering huge trenches and piles of mud down the side entrance to have a look and gossip.  All the old drainage had to come up and new pipes, water and electricity laid on to the outbuildings and when it rained?   Well, you get the picture.
The property sits on a T junction, hence its size and during this three months the entire area looked like a major construction site.  Diggers and lorries coming and going, pallets of bricks, sand bags and skips on the road, plus my big Chevrolet parked up.  The local council came round twice about reducing road usage.  In such a residential area, it was a major upheaval.

  I still see some of the lads who worked here, they are all doing well now and have jobs, some even settled down with family. Makes me so proud to see them as fine individuals and rising, instead of the heavy sinking sand they were in three years ago before this project kick started their hopes and inspirations. Oh, I feel very at peace in this environment and proud to be part of it. If only I could have achieved such pride from the one who I really needed it most from, but never received.

  So once again, even this house was not my karma or idea, it was another of Eliza's which I turned into a reality for her. But sadly, just like the thousands I spent on a lovely garden office that she so much desired and demanded and then lost interest in, this house is just a bigger version of that lack of satisfaction she finds with anything done for her. Now of course she goes around telling everyone that this was all my idea and karma. It was my karma, not her insistence that resulted in this place, that's her latest delusion of the past anyway.

  Liam says he's ready to go out now, so its off to the cinema to see Spiderman 3. I had promised him on Friday when I saw how much he wanted to see it. The more I can get him out and about right now the better as there is absolutely nothing homely here any more, it looks more like a war zone of boxes and empty spaces. She can take it all fine, but having to live like this is getting intolerable for Liam and I.

  The movie was great and we thoroughly enjoyed the film and popcorn.  We chatted like equal aged friends on the way back and I must admit I like his modern tastes in music.  Possibly much to Eliza's disgust as most of the singers are black and even worse, they may be Christians.  Oh, heaven forbid.   We got home around eight and Eliza was already in bed.  So have no idea until tomorrow how the meeting went.  Good I hope.  Liam stayed up a while and I have just tucked him up in bed at ten thirty.  He may be nearly fifteen, but this bed time ritual is something I have always done and upon his insistence, which is really heart warming and gives me great hope of the future.

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