The other day, the property caretaker told me he was going to be pretty busy, and advised that I hire someone to mow the grass around the house (as I obviously can't do it myself, being incapacitated).
This property which I rent is actually quite a spread; it includes acres of meadow, three very large gardens, a vast grove of walnut trees, the William Rivers Pitt, and reaches to the river about 500 yards away from the back porch.
The whole thing didn't need mowed; just around the house, maybe circa 50 yards from the front of the house, 50 yards on the north side (the croquet field), 75 yards on the south side, and 30 yards on the west side, facing the river (all beyond these are meadows).
While in town on Thursday morning, I was approached by this black guy, about 60 years old, and enormously obese. Once a truck driver, he's now on disability, and moved to this area some years ago for peace and quiet, which he wasn't getting in any blue neighborhoods, what with all these Treyvons running around.
I have no idea how he knew I was looking for someone for this particular job, but of course I'm complained plenty here that hearing people (as opposed to we deaf people) pick up information not from hearing, but from plucking it out of the thin air.
He had one of those things (a wi-fi?--I dunno) in his shirt pocket, with a cord leading up to his ear.
I explained the perimeter of the job, and that he didn't have to worry about anything beyond that. I also said I myelf would use a gasoline-powered "weed whip" to get all the edges, against the house, and around the trees and bushes.
"It's a pretty big job," I said.
"I know," he replied; "I've been out to your place before. I can handle it."
I asked him how much he wanted, to mow the place.
He said forty bucks, which sounded reasonable to me.
On Thursday about noon, he came out here, driving an old pick-up truck pulling a trailer, on which was mounted a riding lawn-mower. There was an 0bomba-Biden bumper-sticker on the back.
He started mowing that same Thursday afternoon.
When I came back after several hours, he was mowing the meadow on the south. He'd started mowing the yard, and moved outward. No way, I thought; I'd explained the yard to him. It was hot and miserable and humid that day, and given his elephantine size, I didn't want him to overdo it.
He quit about sun-down, sweating rivers, and said he'd be back the next day, to finish up.
I reminded him he had only to do the yard, not the meadows too.
I wasn't sure he was "getting it" though, because he was listening to that damned thing in his ear.
I was away most of Friday, and when I returned, he was already gone.....having finished mowing not only the lawn, but all three meadows clear up to the trees by the river. We're talking, uh, substantial acreage here.
He came back Saturday morning, telling me he expected to finish by noon, as all he had to do was "weed whip" the edges, against the house, and around the trees and bushes.
I was aghast. As far as I was concerned, he was already done, and besides I'd told him I'd do the finishing-up work myself. "Look," I said; "it's hot and miserable. You're already done, finished. I'll take care of the trimming stuff.....as I've already said three times before."
I wasn't sure he was "getting it" though, because he was listening to that damned thing in his ear.
Well, to make a long story short, he was in fact done by noon, and I paid him.
But damn, if he'd listened, he wouldn't have had to do circa 80% of what he did.
Why is it that people with ears don't use them?
