Friday, July 6, 2007

Let me in!

I'm standing outside my apartment door for the first time. Jetlagged, exhausted, and sweaty from the humidity and carting three bags up four flights of stairs. When I had collected my key from the university, the professor told me that one key on the ring was for the outside door to the building and the second was for my apartment door.

I try the second key, but cannot fit it in the keyhole. I wiggle it, I jiggle it. Nothing. Nada. Not even close. I examine the key. I examine the lock. I don't see how the two will fit, but I continue trying the key. I work away, sweating from the humidity, and wonder if they gave me the wrong key and whether I'm going to have to lug my three bags back down the four flights of stairs. Eventually, I leave my bags outside the apartment door and start knocking on the doors of the other apartments in search of someone who might be able to reveal the magic secret that will open this door.

I can't remember his name, but two flights down a student answered the door and returned with me to help open my door. Likety-split, he's got it open. I asked him what he did and he said you had to jiggle it a bit. Cripes. I can't figure it out.

After putting my things in the apartment, the first thing I do is look to see if the door locks automatically (based on the Eberle propensity to always lock the outside door of everything when sitting inside - cars, houses, whatever else might have an outside lock). I take my keys with me (thank god) and during the process shut the door. It locks automatically (that question was answered). Again, I'm stuck outside trying to figure out how to get the damn key to fit.

After 10 minutes of trying - still sweating because of the humidity - I give up and go get the student again. This time, I watch him very carefully to see what he is doing differently and discover the difference is that he is using the key to the outside door. I ask him what the second key is for, which is for the mailbox.

I go back inside my apartment, covering up that I feel like a total idiot.

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