Well, I didn’t get Javier and Hector. Let me recount what happened. I was expecting them around 8 AM on Monday as agreed upon on the preceding Friday after a 2 hour discussion. As we got to 8:40 with no one showing up, I decided to call Javier. It rang but there was no immediate response; about 5 minutes later, I got a text message of apology… he had to go to Tequis… but would be here on Tuesday.
Surprised and not the happiest I’d ever been, (actually, strike this one out—I was furious!) I decided to call Gabriel who’d had them the preceding week. I was then told that Javier and Hector NEVER work on Mondays. They work four and a half days from Tuesday to Saturday and get paid for 5 days, which is the reason that their rates seem so reasonable, even cheap. I am of the opinion that a half-truth is a whole lie. I felt cheated and hating being lied to, I decided to forego their “help” and advised them that they needed not bother showing up.
The next day this older mason, also by the name of Hector, showed up and offered his services. I showed him all the materials ready for the roof over the bedroom, the bathroom, and the kitchen-dining and explained that they would be of beams and bricks, which I had been told was the least expensive type. He nixed the idea that these types of roof were cheaper and explained why. I thought that given his experience, I’d be in luck with an expert…
I told him that I was hoping that he had a helper and he replied that his help was paid $1000 pesos per week. OK, I said, I was ready for $200 pesos a day. Perfect. Then I noticed that he no longer was listening to me but was counting on his fingers by 2’s to check that it would make $1000, counting twice, and a third time before he gave me his agreement. When we got to take the width of the bedroom—4m24, to which we added 13cm for each side wall. The total from one outside wall to the other would thus make 4m50. He just couldn’t get it; he kept adding one centimeter at a time to get to the 4m50 mark from the 4m24… I made up my mind right then and there. I would use Yvonne’s workers for whatever time she could lend them to me. It would cost me $500 pesos more per week but I’d be sure of the work.
This week was out, next week as well. Yvonne needs them. So now it looks as if Luis and Jesus will be here the week starting March 12th. I’ll admit that I’m learning patience. BIG TIME! But does it have to be by being clobbered on the head with a 2" x 4”? Every time?
The problem that has been recurrent in my Mexican experience is that whenever I ask for INFORMATION, what I get is OPINIONS. I think that I’ll change my middle initials to D- for determination and P-for patience (it’s anyone’s guess which comes first—they go hand in hand). So now I’m back to my original idea… MINE and mine only… to have the living-room roof a boveda, and the other rooms of viguetas and bovedillas. When the guys are here, I’ll take photos to explain how those will end up being done.
This weekend, I’ll be posting on anything other than construction! By then, I hope that no more smoke will be blowing out of my ears.
Hasta luego.
1 comment:
Gee, it seems you NEVER get a break! So sorry. I would be some upset, too!!
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