The flood had done its damage. The internal walls all needed to be replaced as the plasterboard had swelled and disintegrated. It would be a while before new stocks would arrive, months at least. As so many homes had been flooded there was a big demand and finding new plaster board would be difficult. Jen hated living in the house and constantly informed him. With the unavoidable wait he felt inadequate.
Roy thought a lot about getting the house repaired. His impatience, due in part to her harassment, made him think about other ways of making the repairs. He was familiar with the resources around him and wondered whether he could do something interesting to solve the problem.
There was a pile of old newspapers that seemed, unfairly, to have missed the ravages of the flood. Other things that had value seemed to have been damaged but the pile of newspapers had been waiting to be taken to the tip and were still in pristine condition. It was after Jen had complained again that he had the answer. The old twin tub washing machine would be useful.
On the slab of cement, at the back of the house, he lay down a large sheet of plastic and set out the formwork. Measuring it carefully, ensuring that all the corners were square he was happy. He set the washing machine going, filled it with water and threw newspapers in. He found a tin of alum and tossed in enough to make the newspaper toxic to vermin. He also made glue with flour and water which he measured into the pulp in the washing machine.
Jen was suspicious that he was on another failed project. She'd seen it before. As usual, he didn't explain what he was doing. He never did and it infuriated her. With each load of pulp he unloaded from the washing machine onto the plastic it looked increasingly ominous. She stood on the back door step, with her hands on her hips and scowled at his efforts.
It took many loads from the washing machine to fill the space on the plastic. She wasn't happy that her washing machine was being used. She kept quiet to keep the peace though. When he had that plastic filled he started to make another, with careful measurements as before. She let him go, at least he wasn't bothering her and in the hot sun he would have to stop soon. Slowly he filled the new plastic sheet. As before, with a piece of wood he carefully smoothed it off. His patience with the detail was too much for her.
"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, with her hands on her hips she advanced towards him. She had watched him all day, as he puddled around in the paper pulp, totally absorbed, with just his shorts on while she endured the heat without so much as an explanation. The house was hot without its insulation.
"It's an experiment," he replied carefully.
"Why don't you experiment with something else?" she challenged.
"Because this is interesting," he responded.
"You've wrecked my washing machine. "
"Yes. I have."
"All that black from the newsprint will never come off."
"It's all right. The spin dryer doesn't work and you need a new one." She was advancing on him, her belligerence was threatening. She'd had enough.
"When will I get that?" she demanded.
"Whenever you want it."
"What about now?"
"Can we get it tomorrow?"
"You said whenever I want it and I want it now."