Cancel Last Weekend

The weekend sucked.

Friday school was cancelled due to demonstrations. (Don't blame them!) My daughter, not like her, decided to clean and reorganize the kitchen. She stuck to the task she'd set herself until mid-afternoon and did a splendid job. (I'm so proud of you!) Then our day changed.

"Daddy, why is the stuff in the fridge hot? It's all melting!"

Excrement hits the fan. It's served me well - the fridge, not the excrement - but it's an old model, not CFC compliant, so I can't have it regassed. Three o'clock. Stuff it, I'm unemployed and my credit card does NOT need this now.

Dash down to Game to see what is on "Special" and if they can deliver the next day, Saturday, so that the food doesn't all spoil. Great, there's a fridge and they can deliver. No problem. It's wider than the old one and there is only one spot in the flat's kitchen for a fridge. Can't take the chance. Jump in the car and rush home to measure. It'll fit. Just. Right, now get back to Game before it's too late.

Where's the remote for the gate? Lost. Search the flat. Search every square inch of the route from the garage to the flat. 4:30pm and my mood is very bad. My daughter begs me to borrow a remote from the caretaker. Eventually I agree. The caretaker has mine. Some kind soul found it and handed it in. Thank you to all concerned. We're back in business. My credit card is accepted and I buy a fridge. Delivery guaranteed. Cancel the promised ice skating for Saturday and promise to take my daughter Saturday night instead. She rises to the occassion. What a girl.

Saturday. We go NOWHERE. We know it will probably only be in the afternoon, but we don't budge. We wait. Every time the buzzer sounds, we jump - but it's always a buddy of my daughter's. The freezer of the old fridge is at the bottom section, so I don't throw out any of the ice, trying to preserve what food I can. Newspapers all over the kitchen floor to absorb the water. Mop up at regular intervals. All day. Cook what can reasonably be cooked.

6:pm. Still no delivery. (No call to say they can't manage, either, and obviously, after 3:pm, no answer fom Game.) My daughter is distraught.

"To Hell with them," I tell her. "Collect your stuff and your friends - let's go skating."

9:00pm. "Daddy!!! My cell phone has been stolen!! And my money!!!"

Some little bitch had taken my daughter's bag to the 'Ladies', emptied it out and dumped the bag behind a rubbish bin. Check with the manager. Check the tapes. Cannot see anything on the video tapes.

The phone is on contract and I still have 18 months to go on the contract.

Phone Vodacom, who block the line immediately. Very helpful person. Thanks Vodacom. Cannot blacklist the phone, because Nashua Mobile's Customer Care is closed. By now it's after 10pm, so I pile the kids in the car and we search for Honeydew Police Station. Find it. They're not going to open a case without the Service Provider's reference number. Not even if I phone them with the number later.

Sunday morning 11:30. The fridge is delivered.

Monday 11:30 am. I am still trying to get through to Nashua Mobile's Customer Care, since 08:30. Already spent a fortune holding on. Left a message at the prompt for them to call back. Can't afford to keep holding. Went to their website and e-mailed my message. One of their operators will call me back - "Soon"! Still can't blacklist the phone or even report the theft until I can get hold of them.

Stuff Nashua Mobile. When I do get to speak to them, I still have to face the ordeal of the Police Station.

Ice isn't my favourite subject.