A WATER PAGEANT

We have just had a water fill-up, an event which has caused quite a bit of commotion in the street. First of all, I had to go down and open the barrier across the condominio parking space and, as the lift in this building is not the fastest in Europe, by the time Simi and I got down there the water-lorry-man was already trying to make good his escape, so I am waving the barrier keys, Simi is barking and I am desperately yelling, "Signore, aspetti, per favore!" [= "Please wait!"] No sooner had I got the barrier open than the driver realised he would not be able to back the lorry in, as a car was parked just across the narrow street and another was partially parked across the entrance. So then there was a lot of beeping, throwing up of arms in the air and saying of "Ma..." [= "But.." said rather hopelessly] to draw the attention of the owners of these two cars. In the meantime, two couples had come from up and down the street to ask the water man where their supply was and this, in turn, brought the people of three floors of the palazzo opposite out onto their balconies to chime in. At last the car-owners arrived and moved their vehicles but by this time the barrier had automatically shut again, just as the water man was backing in, so out rushed the lady in the block next door to shout at him to be careful. [I had my back to him as I was reopening the barrier.]

So what with the revving of the water lorry engine, the loud gushing of the water through the lorry's pipes down to the cistern, the continuing beeping, everybody raising their voices above the din to tell their own "water story" to the gathered listeners and last, but certainly not least, Simi barking merrily away, a very noisy half-hour was had, providing the street entertainment of the day.