ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Culture
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
A routine garage plastering job has entered its fourth day after local tradie Brad Briggs confidently assured homeowner Sarah Fulmer it would only take a “couple of hours”.
Briggs, a plasterer in Christchurch, made the initial estimate on Monday morning while standing in Fulmer’s garage, lightly tapping a wall and saying, “Yeah nah, couple hours tops.”
By Monday afternoon, the wall was “nearly there” but “just needed a quick skim.” By Tuesday, Briggs had discovered “a bit of a tricky patch.” Wednesday involved “letting it set properly,” while Thursday has reportedly been dedicated to “final finishing touches that absolutely can’t be rushed.”
Fulmer, 37, says patience is wearing thin.
“I just wanted the garage fixed so I could park in it,” she said. “Now I’ve memorised Brad’s coffee order and I’m pretty sure he’s on first-name terms with my kettle.”
Neighbours report Briggs still insisting the job is “basically done,” while simultaneously mixing another bucket of compound.
When asked for a revised completion time, Briggs paused, looked at the wall, and said: “Hard to say… but you’re looking at maybe another couple hours.”
More to come.
