mess

Yesterday I received a large envelope in the mail containing a treasure trove of unsent documents, including tax and insurance forms that I had repeatedly asked Mum about over the last month or so. My Birthday Card was in there, too, and like several other items it was stamped and addressed but had simply not made it out of the door. I knew that this windfall was due to C's initiative on Wednesday, so I rang the Warden (C's partner) and left a message to say thanks.

This morning, the Warden rang to tell me more about what C had seen in Mum's apartment. Apparently, the place was in a dreadful state. In the kitchen there were rotting food items on all surfaces: half-eaten meals, banana skins, opened soup cans left out, and so on. The dog's food was all over the floor and dog mess on the carpet. It took C a whole hour to clear the kitchen and then another to deal with the bathroom. It was only after this that she sat down at the dining table and started sifting through Mum's huge pile of correspondence.

I told the Warden that I was very grateful that C had taken extra time beyond her usual hour, and told him that I was keen that she be paid for this time and any further time she can spare in future weeks.

Am I kidding myself when I reject homes like the ones I saw yesterday?