The axeman cometh
Just some quick background...

I've been having a really bad week. Broke up with my fiancee and later discovered she'd cheated on me. I tell you this only so you can imagine my current mindset. For those who can't; I'm so down I'm positively subterranean. It feels like someone's died.

With that in mind, some further background...

I live in a big old house that's been converted to 3 flats. I'm on the ground floor, the top two flats are currently empty. The landlord of the flat above mine had his previous tenant disappear owing him rent so is in the process of changing the locks. This includes the lock on the main, communal front door. He changed the lock on Monday and promised to get me a key cut. Since then I've had to leave the front door on the latch everytime I go out.

Yesterday, my phone died while I was in work. It's a messy business breaking up with someone, there's a lot of texting and terse phonecalls involved. So I'm essentially phoneless. I arrive home with some bags of shopping to find that the door is no longer on the latch. It is locked. I have no key. And no phone.

After standing there aghast for a minute I think "Fuck it. It's that pillock of a landlord's fault I'm locked out, he'll just have to replace the lock again" and start kicking the shit out of the door.

After about 5 minutes of this, Paul arrives. I don't know Paul, he lives across the road from me. He looks a bit 'special'. And is carrying an axe.

"Alright mate?", asks Paul, "need a hand with that?".

I'm so grateful he hasn't come to behead me I say yes. I'm further grateful that he decides not to go all "Heeeere's Johnny!" on my front door but instead wedges the axe blade between the door and the frame and starts twisting it. "While I twist, you push the door, hard", he says. So I do.

After about 5 minutes of this Martin pulls up in his van. I don't know Martin either. But he looks like a builder.

"Oi mate!", shouts Paul. Who also doesn't know Martin. "You haven't got a crowbar in the back of that thing have you?"

"Yeah.", answers Martin, looking slightly wary. "Why?"

"Bring it over here!"

So that is the story of how me and two complete randoms ended up in a heap on my hallway floor having crashed through my front door and broken into my own home.

I'm inside my flat after thanking the guys. I put the shopping down and I know I'm about to cry. I'm sweating, worn out physically and emotionally and I can just feel it coming.

Then there's a tap at the window.

I pull myself together, pull back the curtain and see Paul stood outside. I go out to meet him.

"Hiya fella. I just been and told the wife what happened and she had a right good giggle about it. Wants to know if you'd like to come over for dinner?"

I could barely talk I was welling up so much. How lovely is that?

Never underestimate the kindness of strangers.

*Edit* And I've just realised it's my b3taday too.
(R. Jimlad twitter.com/sirmarkymark, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 13:08, 12 replies)

Happy b3taday!
And sorry to hear about your break-up. It's dark times now, but they will lighten and get easier with time, I promise.

And a massive *click* for the kind strangers.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 13:36, closed)

Thank you
Much appreciated.
(R. Jimlad twitter.com/sirmarkymark, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 13:43, closed)

What lovely people
although I do hope they checked properly that it was actually your house!
Sorry you are feeling sad. It does get better :-)
( Herb Alpert's Taxi Driver I have very beautiful lips, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 13:51, closed)

:o)
As we were dusting ourselves off in the hallway Martin did comment "I hope one of you lives here or we're kinda in trouble".

And thank you.
(R. Jimlad twitter.com/sirmarkymark, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 13:53, closed)

I thought for a moment that was going to end up as the old joke about a fellow stopped in a layby who was removing the flat battery to take away to charge when somebody else pops up and gives him the line about - well if you're having the battery I'm having the tyres.
(Benzyl, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 15:47, closed)

happy b3taday
21 today
21 today
he's got the key of the door

oops, or not!
(whiskas loved by 8 out of 10 cats, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 19:06, closed)

Thank
you!

Taxi on it's way!
(R. Jimlad twitter.com/sirmarkymark, Sat 7 Aug 2010, 19:47, closed)

*Click*

(Thomas_The_Spankengine, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 19:08, closed)

mate.
I'm loving this qotw; have been thinking for ages how good it would be to have a positive one for a change, instead of everyone moaning.

Anyway, I like your story, and wanted to just maybe help out with a bit of perspective.

I was engaged recently, to an amazing woman. I knew from the day I met her that we would be married; we were perfect. We travelled to sixteen countries, climbed mountains, ran (and swam and biked and skiied) races together, learned new languages and basically were annoyingly perfect.

I proposed in Damascus at the dawn prayer, and put a ring on her finger on the summit of Kilimanjaro at sunrise. So, as you can imagine, I was pretty cut up when she dumped me, by phone, again but finally for real, from another continent. I lost my job, my home, my friends and was pretty sure that that was pretty much the end of that.

It's awful... it's fucking awful. No-one needs to tell you how awful, because you're there right now. What I want to tell you about, is what happened next.

One year later, I have met a beautiful, kind, generous and loving woman. We have built a new house together, I won a scholarship and took an MBA and passed with distinction. I have a string of interviews for awesome jobs and am enjoying our beautiful little baby turning into a wonderful little girl.

It is simply extraordinary what can happen in only a year from what you think is the end of your life. Your ability to turn the complete shits of a day into something wonderful, based on the kindness of strangers, tells me you are the kind of person open to experience and able to turn mere luck into serendipity.

Believe in yourself, take some chances and look to the rest of your life; it is going to be wonderful.
(pounana Slept well, and dreamed of large women, on, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 22:16, closed)

Wow.
I'm quite overwhelmed. Another example of the kindness of strangers. I thank you sir, and if I ever get to meet you I shall buy you a pint.

Good luck to you, your wife and family for the rest of forever.

*manhugs*
(R. Jimlad twitter.com/sirmarkymark, Sat 7 Aug 2010, 19:46, closed)

Hang in there fella, it does get better. Seems like you have some good people (albeit random) around you so make the most of them.

Happy b3ta-day as well :)
(brocky, Sun 8 Aug 2010, 18:38, closed)

Thanks
muchly my friend
(R. Jimlad twitter.com/sirmarkymark, Mon 9 Aug 2010, 1:04, closed)