Keyed Up – Jenny 31

 

[For back story go here: Story so far at 17 Sept 2020 and maybe this one in particular.]

[For other back story click in-links]

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" asked Izzy.

"It's not difficult," said Jenny, "it's just bleeding a radiator."

"Only asking," said Izzy.

"I'm not – " started Jenny. "I said it's just bleeding a radiator. It's a thing. I didn't swear at you. Honest.”

Izzy nodded half-understandingly and headed off to the ‘office' she’d established in the spare room – although it seemed to have gained outposts in the living room and bedroom. On one occasion a rather sensitive phone call was carried out in the kitchen, which thankfully only Jenny heard and although she disapproved she could be trusted.

Meanwhile Jenny was in receipt of a beginners guide to domestic plumbing and was trying to get her head around some of the practicals. There were several simple tasks in terms of identifying elements of the water system and then a few neat little exercises to carry out, which, said the manual couldn't go wrong, or at least wouldn't entirely jeopardise the water system. Bleeding the radiators was one such exercise, although Jenny was more than a little bit worried that fiddling around with the semi-ancient fittings in their house could well lead to problems if she weren’t extra careful.

The lockdown party, tongue in cheek as it was, had not heralded a particularly upbeat lockdown over the weekend, although spirits were higher today with the news of the vaccine. There was a spring in Helen’s step as she headed off to school, armed with a selection of face masks which she had tracked down over the weekend. She now had several options on masks that would work effectively and preserve or even enhance her popularity.

Despite everything, Peter was monosyllabic in front of the TV or pretty much locked away in his room. When he did appear he had the kind of heavy mood which not even toast and treacle could lighten. He muttered about being on the phone to Jude and how she was worrying about the baby and what kind of a world was this that they were bringing a kid into? At least over the weekend and yesterday evening Jenny and Izzy were able to paint a far more positive image of the world to come than had been the case before.

Aside from this, the occasional conversation with Izzy tended to be about work and the ridiculousness of their current situation. It was something Jenny could identify with and understand of course, but it was also the thing she was trying to get away from. While giving support to Izzy she was frustrated and annoyed that it wasn't something she could actually get her hands dirty on.

And so she decided to get her hands dirty on the plumbing instead. Claire said the lockdown reduced the number of jobs she could take her on and in any case without her being employed by the company it might be pushing the envelope a bit to have her tag along. In a bizarre mixing of metaphors and circumstances, Claire had said she had other bubbles to fry.

Tracking the hot water system had been easy, as she already knew where most of the pipes ran around their house and why. Jenny was wary about taking the cover off the boiler to have a look inside, but she was tempted to do so. Maybe later, she thought, if the bleeding worked out OK.

Unfortunately at that moment Izzy let out a huge yell followed by a frustrated curse levelled at an email on her computer. The suddenness of it was enough to take Jenny sufficiently by surprise for her to drop the radiator key she was holding together with the valve screw that she was loosening from the radiator. She added her own curse to the situation seconds later when a narrow squirt of water shot from the radiator and showed no signs of stopping. 

Jenny went scurrying over the floor searching desperately for the screw, while also wondering if she should stop doing that now and try and find something to catch the water in.

“Izzy!" she shouted.

Izzy shouted back "I know, I know!" and she appeared at the room's door, "You won't believe what Linus has just asked me to do with the figures it's complete and utter..."

She took in the vision that was Jenny trying to staunch the flow of water.

"...is it meant to do that?" she asked.

"No, but it is," said Jenny, teeth gritted. 

"Maybe you shouldn't be doing that," suggested Izzy.

"Maybe you should be helping," said Jenny.

“Well I was in the middle of a really important,” she broke off, taking in Jenny’s look. “Sure, I'll... er..." And she disappeared into the kitchen. "And then I'll tell you about Linus,” she called back.

“Sure,” said Jenny, still looking for the screw. “Good to get our priorities right,” she muttered to herself.