The Renowned Havilah's Posting Begins to be a Less Common Occurrence

Two days after Christmas and the next, it was raining, windy, and the temperature was dropping fast. It was cold, and neither of us wanted to leave the room that was just warm enough to make us want to sit in front of the heater all day.

Bathroom #2 is accessible by walking across the house and through the kitchen and dining room, which lack floors. This bathroom has a toilet in it, so happily, the neighbors will not know the exact number and time of our using the restroom anymore. 

While Ephraim cut a hole for a pipe in said bathroom, I started taking out the old two-by-sixes that make up the floor. They rested on top of rotting cement blocks, some of which you can crumble in your hands. Small stacks of bricks and tilting pieces of random wood scraps (one was no bigger than an inch by a centimeter; clearly not doing any good) go between these supports, which are constantly surrounded by a little water. I dragged the patched-together boards that were supposed to rest on them, and Ephraim and I started putting in the new ones, rather green and wet. Putting in the salvaged two-by-four pieces to make it hold together took the rest of that day.

The average step you take in that sub-floor mud sinks your boot in further than an inch. Even though we arranged scraps and stuff to act as bridges, they sank in too, and I was lucky to have my boots only two inches muddified. We were getting kind of depressed, me, because I was hungry, and Ephraim, because of the fact that this mud never dries, and both because it was dark outside and we were just trying to finish the last of the job.

"Okay, this is seriously the very last one," Ephraim said as he took the last board. Since I tend to break bits on that annoying wood (okay, maybe I shouldn't blame the wood; I just lack experience and strength), Ephraim was doing all the screwing. I sometimes feel useless, because he is so much better at every single thing. It's been backwards of this most of our lives, since I focus on things I'm naturally good at. When I try to do something he's good at, I flunk it.

I held the last piece of wood in place while he tried to get the right angle on something he couldn't screw straight into. It bothers both of us when it's physically impossible to use a perfect algorithm... well, in math the rules don't bend, while in reality they always have a little leeway, and it's annoying because we are both math-lovers.

But when that last piece was in, we gathered up our tools and went to the kitchen. I won't say we prepared any good meal; we have trouble balancing eating and working and keeping the house clean all at the same time.

I was going to tell you about dismantling the little part-wall in the kitchen, but I see now I don't have room, memory, or stamina as it is 10:54 pm. I probably should be in bed if I want to wake up when Ephraim does. Well, actually it's too late for that. Nonetheless, I hope you all have fruitful semanas.

The End