"On a winter day, a neighbor who lived near our family villa called my husband to tell him that water was flowing from the house. A frozen pipe broke and flooded the whole house with water once the weather became warmer. We made a mistake and let the water run without us being in the house during the winter. This happens in life all the time. People learn from their mistakes. As a man, a husband, and a father, he drove there, sixty minutes from the city. In the meantime, the kids and I were at a birthday party. Several hours later (around 4 p.m.), he called and asked me to come immediately. It wasn’t clear why I needed to go there. What could I do that he couldn’t? However, I left the kids with a friend—one of the mothers of my other three daughters—and drove to the house to meet him. I reached the house just as it started getting dark. I saw him at the door as soon as I got out of the car.
“The whole house is soaked. I turned off the water and electricity,” he said. After that, he got into his car and drove away.
At first, I stood there shocked. What should I do with that information? Why did he call me at all?
But the shock only lasted for a moment. I started looking around. I saw a new pair of boots by the door. I realized he spent his time purchasing boots. That’s kind of funny, isn’t it? As the light declined, I surveyed the house. On the third floor, there had been a plumbing failure. There were four floors in the house, so one was spared. It wasn’t just floors or furniture that was flooded; it was also the ceilings and walls. This is quite a tragedy when considering that our family has to pay the bank for thirty years since the house was purchased on credit. It was unacceptable to leave things as they were. We had to fight to save our home, no matter how hopeless it looked. Furthermore, I had the most tragic experience on the ground floor. Since there was no terrace and no direct exit, I had to go down the stairs, fill the basket, and go back up to throw the water out.
To make matters worse, the water was up to my waist. Boots were not very helpful. Also, it was in the middle of winter, so there was quite a bit of icy water. A unique experience, but perhaps not for everyone. I am a good swimmer, and I am usually healthy, so I persistently threw out baskets of water. There were several stars visible through the tiny floor’s window. They were shining and waved at me as if saying, “Go, girl! This is the way!”
One Coin - Two Sides, Chapter 6, "The Eye of the Storm"