117. Electricity Inspection

My flat is a university accredited accommodation. To receive an approval, the accommodation must pass criteria that the university set, e.g. fire security system is installed in each room, gas and electricity is checked every year, etc. If the accommodation passes this inspection, an certificate is issued. Our landlady put it in a frame and told us that it must be displayed in a living room all the time. But Will and Matt always remove it...

Last Friday was an inspection day for the electricity. We received a message from the landlady that we should leave the doors unlocked (if unattended). I do not like someone to go into my room without my attendance. So, when they need to do so, I always stay in the flat until they finish. However, as the landlady did not mention the specific hour that an electrician was supposed to come, I wondered what I should do. If I stay in the flat, I might waste a whole day because I need the special software for my research, which is installed only on university computers. But I do not want to leave the door unlocked and go out for a security reason... I expected Alex to look after it. I mean, since he stays in a flat until the early evening, if I leave the key to him, he might be able to unlock the door of my room, let the electrician in and lock the door after finish. As he is a reliable guy, I do not have a hesitation to do that.


I thought and thought and thought and thought and thought.


Then, eventually I had decided to leave the door unlocked, which I really hate, you know. I went to a garden to get a bike, and someone called my name. It was Alex!


"Momoko, will you be here when the electrician comes?"

"No, I have to go to campus. So, I didn't lock the door. Will you be here?"

"Yes, I’ll be staying until 5.30pm approximately"

"Hmm... (my first option came back to my mind, then) May I ask you a favour? Would you mind if I leave you the key to my room, and ask you to unlock and lock the door for me?"

"No, I wouldn't"


Ooohhh, thank you so much, Alex! I asked him to put the key in a bucket when he goes out. At night when he came back, he told me that the electrician did not go into the bedrooms; he did his job only downstairs... What!? What was the time I really really thought what to do!!!

Momoko