A Lady, a Thief, & a Screwdriver

It looked like just another day when it started, but it was different as one of my neighbors found out. The Master of the House was away passing time of the day as he was retired and had nothing better to do. The Lady of the House was home alone, managing the daily chores. At about 10 A.M. someone knocked on their door. She went to see who it was. “Madam, I have come to repair the cable TV connection” the visitor said. He was young, thin, and wore nondescript clothes. “It is not working?” she asked him. She was old and probably did not watch the cable programs so often. “Your husband sent me. He said it is not working.” “Come in.” He went in. Under her watchful eye, he switched on the TV, disconnected and connected the cable connection, changed channels a few times, and turned towards the Lady. “Madam, do you have an electric geyser?” “Yes, it is in the bathroom” the Lady said. “Please show me”. They went to the bathroom, he following her. The instant geyser was there, apparently looking OK. “Do you have a screwdriver?” he asked. She fetched a screwdriver while he waited in the bathroom. He put the screwdriver against the body of the geyser and asked her “Will you please hold the screwdriver like this while I go check the TV connection? Don’t worry; it won’t give you any electric shock. But don’t take it off, or I may get one.” So she stood there holding the screwdriver touching the geyser, while he went to fix the cable. Minutes passed, but he wouldn’t come back. She wanted to go see what was happening, but was afraid to break the contact with the geyser lest the cable fellow got electrocuted or something. A half hour later the Man of the House returned, let himself in with his key, and after looking for the lady everywhere, found her in the bathroom holding the screwdriver. “What are you doing?” he asked her. So she told him. “But there in no one repairing the cable. Actually I sent no one” he said. “Let us go and see if everything is OK.” So they rushed to check everything. The TV and cable were OK, as they originally had been. But the cupboard was open and cash inside was stolen. The Lady’s gold bangles kept on the wardrobe were stolen too. A police complaint was lodged. The outcome was healthy entertainment of the policemen for the next few days as they recounted the story, but the thief was not found and the stolen goods were not recovered. This is an unorthodox and first-time-in-literature use of a screwdriver.