Just Coping

I hear you chirp “How was the weekend?”

How does horrendous sound?

I am exhausted.

The plan went like this; Thursday I buy bigger boxes for Coralie – and drop them at her place. I did some moving of items, boxes that had been packed and need sealing, things that were not to be packed, but just moved to the spare room, boxes of paper and packing supplies, all together and in the right place. I took a few loads of rubbish to the refuse area, and generally just pottered around there. I was there less than an hour.

Friday the plan was to go to Coralie’s and finish off any packing that she had not yet managed to do. I more or less finished that by 14h00, and then sat waiting for the agent or Coralie, whoever was to arrive first, as then I would leave. Coralie gets held up at an awards ceremony and the agent tells me the chap who is to view the flat is running late. I finally leave there at 17h30. The viewee (is that a word) – never makes it. (A strange thing is the agent, who had a huge argument with Coralie in the last week is phoning me and acting like he doesn’t have Coralie’s phone number any more – most annoying)

Saturday – pick up Henk on the way to Coralie’s he is flying in from CT. First I hear things are not going well is when I phone to ask him how things are going. He is cursing and carrying on like a lunatic, the ATM has ‘eaten’ his bank card. I then park the car in the parkade, and find Henk, that took a whole 5 mins, what a waste of R10!! I then find out that he has written off the MG, he hit a brick in the road and rolled the MG on the way to the airport; he was thrown out and has a burn mark of some type on his arm. (Undoubtedly the MG is a write off this time).

So, the day starts well, yes?

But we realise as the day progresses Henk has very little in the way of coping skills. He moans he had no sleep, needs to sleep. We tell him he needs to resolve the bank card issue. He goes to the bank, and stops answering his phone. We eventually find out he gone to his mothers and is probably sleeping there. Sean tells him in a threatening manner to get back to the flat as we do not know where the removal people are and we cannot contact them as we do not have any contact details. Coralie speaks to Henk, tells him to take his effing bad attitude back to CT. She cries.

The agent arrives during the morning to show the flat to the chap. Ian then moved the furniture out of the main bedroom, sanded the bathroom door that was damaged, and re-paints it. He cleans the carpet – there is only one – and he even leaves the flat, as he has finished doing his bit.

Rachel arrives and takes the fish tank. Her sister has bought it.

Removals guys arrive. They cannot bring the pantechnicon into the complex, there is not enough room for it. The driver has to take the horse through to Pretoria to fetch a bakkie – a two-ton truck – and leaves the other guys to start the labeling and packing. That went quite well. Bakkie arrives back, and the furniture is loaded into the truck.

It now pours with rain, a huge tropical storm. We eventually leave, realising we have lost a set of keys. We make our way back home, Coralie and I in my car, Henk is Coralie’s car and Sean in his car. Coralie is saying that she will have to get another set of keys made in the morning and take them to the agent.

Henk goes missing again. He arrives at our house at about 21h00. Sean has left the house, he doesn’t want to face Henk again, or words will be said. Ian and I go to bed.

Sunday, the plan: Have a chill out day, have Coralie and Henk connect a bit and we make lunch a bit later on. Ian and I go shopping, we buy groceries and I bought some receiving blankets that can be used as sheets for the carry cot and some cot sheets hat were on sale – yay! Coralie and Henk are not at the house at 13h30, so we phone and tell them that the lunch is cancelled and we are going out for lunch. We see them briefly in the evening before they pack up and go to the airport. The cat is sedated for the trip, he is flying back with Henk.

Henk arrives in CT, his luggage is not in CT. He sees the cat being thrown out of the airplane, he and a puppy were handled like baggage. He freaks out and is nearly arrested in the airport.

Coralie is taking the day off to sort out insurance matters, and chat to SAA about lost luggage and thrown cats.

We are all exhausted. We need a holiday! Things will calm down soon. Stay hopeful!