A dramatic rendition of our evenings escapades!
"It was a fresh and windy Friday evening...the busy week of classes were over so it was time take our couple's weary and fatigued selves back to Apt 2b. Business needed to be caught up with, electronic mails sent and word processed correspondence imperative.
This was not so straight forward, however on arriving home the internet connection had of course collapsed throwing our plans into turmoil. A minute passed, network diagnostics failed, half hour passed, still no advance, an hour passed, still blank...
Landlord Alex, was to be contacted. A prompt reply from this mysterious man ,who our eyes have never met impressed our conscience. Our gratitude towards him grew as he understood the implicit and infinite dilemma of no Wifi connection! He had checked that there was also no connection, where he lives and how he checked this only the god's will ever know.
After a few missed calls and fluctuating signal he finally reached us as we were in the abyss of having no Facebook. Instructions to alleviate the problem were set, or alternatively we were informed we could wait until Prince Eddy arrived home at midnight, leaving his glass carriage and slipper on the kerb whilst returning to his normal immigrant slavery tasks.
Mr Downing placed on his shoes in haste, grabbed the umbrella for the moist fall air and said goodbye, 'If i'm not back in an hour, come find me'' he whispered whilst Rosina slaved over the Chilli Con Carne.
Again minutes passed, no footsteps were heard returning, 10minutes past still nothing, and still no wifi connection, 15minutes. Rosina occupying herself with the simmering pots and for once even attempting the washing up before she became so perturbed by the lack of communication she reached for the phone...
Ring Ring,
Ring Ring
'Hello' Mr Downing verbalised in a hushed tone.
'Where are you?' She returned in haste.
'I'm in the basement, its a shared appartment, and if you think our house is eclectic you should see this' he replied in excitement.
She sighed in relief, envisaging the alternative conclusions that could have been.
Meanwhile, Mr Downing was following Crystal maze style instructions from Alex, prescicley down the phone; three coded doors, shut before the next one opened, a wrought iron castle gate, plinths of dust filled anthologies, wizard manuals and spell books. (Tour guides and Appliance instructions) Orbs and drapes, shoes and faint Australian twang filled the air. Paper arrows led Sam to the destination, the modem and router above the printer.
Cautiously he pressed the Reset button, heart pounding he reached for his Cell phone, calling Rosina (who was now bowling tortilla chips)
'Is there connection?'
'No'
Blasted by this negative outcome now what to do crossed his mind, resetting again he waited. Looking left and right through the columned archway to what looked like a living room, people were in there, but who was in this strange locked up cave?
Two australians peeped their head around the alcove, walked slowly and cautiously towards Mr Downing, the next set of events were very unexpected.
'G'day Mate, are you the other person thats sharing this apartment with us?'
Startled, Sam retreated,
'Ummm, no? I'm just resetting the router in your apartment' pointing at the box on the wall ,
which i've just had intense instructions to get into, who are you? what is this treasure trove? '
Glancing around Sam noticed, an old gasoline pump, black leather couch, arabic wall hangings, huge pieces of art on the walls, an airport tag and a suitcase, along with these two rather confused Aussies,
On continuing this impromptu conversation, Mr Downing enabled himself to learn that the basement is a shared apartment, advertised upon a website run by mysterious Alex, coded with no keys to stop intruders. The Australian's were as bemused and confused by the happenings, a mutual friendship was conjured. They are visiting the city, for a mere ten days, renting a room within this fragmented basement apartment block.
Alex, texting expeditiously back and forward, somehow from his big-brother esque hidden plinthe, agreed that the lack of World Wide Web was a deeper problem and so he exclaimed he would contact the service provider.
Chilli con carne now ready, Mr Downing returned to the apartment, back through the maze of doors, arrows and notes, back outside, up the door and rung the buzzer for Rosina to let him into the upstairs apartments.
Still rather confused with his ordeal and still lacking a final solution, the couple slumped down as he exclaimed the whole story to the Mrs' over a bowl of fresh mexican food.
The phone buzzed, Alex had accumulated data which explained the problem, the area's network was down, and should be rebooted in an hour or so.
A hour or so indeed passed, tentatively the macbook lay shut, preparing its 'airport' to locate and connect to a sustainable lifeline source.
Success, the homepage arrived along with 16 emails, contagious happiness and laughter filled the apartment as now the new Spotlight clients could be edited.
Meanwhile the Australians are locked in as they have forgotten their special coded swipe cards with finger and eyeball detection, a faint hammering of a elephant tusk can be heard as they attempt to dig themselves out of the underground bunker.
To be continued...!
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