“Oh, no, don’t let the rain come down

My roof’s got a hole in it and I might drown…

 

Can you hear me now? I’m singing this song way up here north of town. I’ve been singing it for a while and it’s getting louder and louder because I see weather reports about approaching rain.

Apparently, how to fix a roof hole is one of the life’s great mysteries. Well the mystery is actually how to get someone to come fix a roof hole.

My trip into the land of leaks began when I noticed a water stain in the corner of one of the bedrooms. It is used for an art room, a yoga room, a store-Christmas-in-the closet-room and the place my daughter sits everyday to eat her snacks.

Since I don’t go in the room too often, I did not notice the potential leak until that stain spread from the corner. Standing on a chair on a rainy morning, I touched the spot and it was damp.

This freaked me out because in my active imagination the roof was surely going to cave in with the next heavy shower. So, I called a person I’d hired to do some other repairs. He came, climbed on the roof, did something and declared that he “thought” he got it.

I paid him and I was happy — until the next time it rained and the spot was wet again. I called again. He came back again. Did something else and declared that he “thought” he got it.

The next time it rained, I jumped for joy when the spot didn’t feel wet.

“He got it. He got it,” I sang while my daughter looked at me like I was crazy.

Life ticked by. The rains came; the rains went. I didn’t give the “repaired” leak a thought until we started noticing a funky odor. It smelled like a cross between a wet dog and mud. I crawled around on the floor sniffing. I opened closets and inhaled, but couldn’t locate where the smell was originating.

I pride myself on my nose’s ability to find a stink quickly, but I failed this time. Finally, my husband noticed the odor was strongest behind the chair where my daughter sits.

So, I climbed up and checked the fixed leak. It was wet right where the ceiling joins the wall. My husband pulled the chair out from the wall and discovered the carpet and the wall were wet. Not good.

Panic kicked in and I started a search for a roof fixer. Let me say if you are looking for a career that keeps you busy, go into roofing. Specifically become a doer of work on panicked people’s leaking roofs.

After many unreturned calls to many folks whose messages assured me a call back, I got two people to call me back. One nice man, (I think he’s really an angel) came out and thought he found the problem. However, he told me to check the next time it rained to be sure the leak was gone.

It rained last week. IT’S NOT GONE.

So, I’m in panic mode again after leaving two phone messages and sending one text. Rain is coming and short of spending the night on the roof holding an umbrella over the spot where I think the leak might be located, I’m out of ideas.

Oh did I mention my daughter joined me in panic because she thinks if it rains, I won’t allow her in the room for several days while I dry out the wall, the carpet and the floor, and attempt to get the stink out of the room.

I did my best — that’s what I’m telling myself as I try to calm my panic and watch the sky for any gathering clouds.

WAIT! HOLD THE PHONE!

I just got a call and the angel roof fixer is on the way.

Oh Happy Day!

Oh Happy Daaay!

Can y’all here me now!!!

 

Nancy Blackmon is a former newspaper editor and a yoga teacher.