Laundry

For everyone who has shared a washer and drier with complete strangers, this story is for you. The other night, I went home a little earlier than usual and found that I needed to wash some clothes. It was probably about 9:00pm so I decided it was probably a safe time to confiscate the communal washing machines and driers that the apartment complex has for its tenants to use. First, let me say, I don't particularly enjoy doing laundry, but I really don't like that once this process begins at the community washateria, it usually must be monitored for a time of no less than two hours. Why is this? Well, so far in my experiences I have come across more than one issue regarding laundry day. Once, I walked into the laundry room just in time to find a young lady trying to steal my towels. She instantly began taking "my laundry" out of her basket, the moment I walked in the door. Second, I have found that there are people in this world who will open the door to your clothes while they are drying, (which stops the cycle), and then I guess just forget to start the drier again. This becomes a major irritation at 11:00pm when you are running downstairs in shorts in the middle of January in order to throw your clothes into a basket. But, what do you do? I could go purchase a washer and drier, but what fun would that be? I would miss the experience of paying $1.o0 for every load I wash and another .75 for every load that is dried!

Well, on to my story. So it was 9:00 and I placed my clothes in two of the washing machines in the "mini-Laundromat" and went out to the pool to hang out while they were washing. After about 20 minutes, I notice a woman carrying her laundry to the room. Well, considering there are only three washing machines, and I had taken two, I decided to go let her know that I would be placing my clothes in the drier shortly, (by now it was almost 9:30). I walk in the small L shaped room, and notice that the woman was Spanish. No problem. I proceed to explain, "I am about to move my clothes as soon as they are done drying". She said something in Spanish, and broken English to the effect of "I don't understand". So, now I find myself in an interesting spot. How do I explain this to someone who doesn't understand English? I suddenly find that apparently 3 years of Spanish in High School had never prepared me for a situation such as this (How do I say washing machine in Spanish?) After thinking on this question for a moment, being the genius that I am, I begin to assume that I have a gift to be able to communicate in Spanish through sign language and that this woman would be able to understand it! As I point to the washer, and call out in a Slow louder voice (apparently in my brain, anything that is said slower, and louder is a guaranteed means of producing understanding) "MY CLOTHES ARE IN HERE, I WILL BE BACK IN 5 MINUTES TO MOVE THEM" By this time the woman looked even more confused, and I realized that I think she understood I was five years old, or something to that affect. So, I left the little room, and went to my apartment to grab quarters. I ran back into the Washing room, and placed my clothes into the two driers that are there. AND OF COURSE, after putting my clothes in and putting .75 I turn on one of the driers and NOTHING! Great! now I have lost .75 and have a pile of wet clothes with no where to go! So, being a quick thinker, I loaded those clothes in with my other set in the now 1 remaining working drier. I figure I would run this drier twice in the hopes that the extended time would dry the mountain of clothing being thrown around inside. So, after trying to explain to my new washing friend that the other drier was broken, in my unique form of sign language, I head back to my apartment to sit and wait. Now by this time we were pushing 10:00, and it was going to be at least an hour before I could grab my clothes. My thoughts were to her, she would not even be able to start drying, (3 loads of clothes), until at least 11:00. So, at about 10:30, I run back to the quarter evaporation machine, and throw in another .75. By now I had spent a grand total of $4.25 to wash two loads of clothes! So I then go back to the apartment and finish waiting. Now, at about 11:00 I leave out of the apartment with my laundry basket, with the expectation that I would find my clothes in a big heap in the drier. When I turned the corner to the laundry room, I saw it! My new friend whom I had developed a very extensive sign language vocabulary with, had folded my clothes and placed them neatly on the table beside the drier! I almost fell over! Literally. At that moment, I was so humbled, and thankful, I wanted to run to the different apartments, and bring people to show them what had happened! It was all I could do not to run around and and do cartwheels. I could not believe my eyes. My friend was nowhere in site, and I desperately wanted to say thank you. For those of you questioning why I would be so happy about such a gesture, all I can say is that you must have never walked into a group of communal driers, and seen all your clothes piled in a mountain wrinkled, and only half dry. After experiencing something like that on more than one occasion, the amount of excitement and joy that occurs when someone actually makes laundry day a blessing is unspeakable! So, anyway that is that, I have been forever spoiled by the generosity and caring of someone who I can't even say "thank you" to. I will never look at laundry day the same way again.