Watch Out For Hatchet Jobs

In Glasgow, there was an elderly couple that owned a Grocery Store/Residence in town and a residence south of town. The residence south of town was a rental. One day I was called to go out to the rental south of town for a remodel job.

Part of the building had been taken down and was being rebuilt. The owner was a fellow that used his favorite tool, a small hatchet, to do all his work; Sawing, nailing, measuring, prying, nail pulling, everything he could possibly do with his little all-purpose tool. When he took down the portion of the building he was remodeling, he had cut the power with his tool. Literally.

I asked if it had sparked when he chopped the wires off. He replied, “No. But the fuses all blew.” Consequently, the wires were all too short to tie onto, and it took quite a bit of work to get new wires from the fuse box and tie them into all the chopped wiring.

Later, the company was called to go to the Grocery Store in town. It too was being remodeled. The boss tasked me to do the wiring at the Store. Remembering the power cut off in the rental property, I told the boss that I better get there early before he started up his hatchet.

I spent the day in the attic, in the basement, in the living quarters, and in the store. Early the next morning the boss called me at home. He asked me if I felt alright. I told him I felt fine and asked him why he was curious.

He told me that the early morning hours had brought the ambulances to the store/residence and the elderly couple had been taken to the hospital. There was a gas leak in the building and the couple had been overcome by fumes.

All that day I felt a little wired, er, weird. I didn’t know if I was really alive, or if I had just been awakened too early.

I never found out if the couple lived or died. I don’t know if those buildings are still standing.

Ever since I have thought to myself, “Did I do something wrong, or was this just another hatchet job?”

I learned to watch out for those customers.