One sunny Saturday morning, a wife looked out at her garden, overgrown with weeds and leaves cluttering the yard. She sighed, envisioning a weekend filled with chores. But then she spotted her husband lounging in his favorite armchair with a cup of coffee, engrossed in the newspaper.
Determined to enlist some help, she called over to him, «Honey, could you help me tidy up the garden?»
Her husband barely looked up. «Do I look like a landscaper to you?» he muttered, turning a page.
She frowned but decided not to push the point. Instead, she tried a different approach. «Alright, no problem. How about helping me fix the squeaky bathroom door instead?»
With a chuckle, he replied, «Do I look like a handyman?»
Frustrated but undeterred, she let him be, heading off to work on the garden herself. Just as she was getting started, their neighbor strolled by. Seeing her struggle, he offered to lend a hand. Soon, they were pulling weeds and raking leaves together, sharing laughs along the way.
When they finished the garden, the neighbor offered to help with the bathroom door too. She thanked him, and within a couple of hours, both the garden and the door were perfectly tended to.
Later that day, her husband finally emerged from his chair and ventured outside. He stopped in his tracks, wide-eyed at the immaculate garden and the fixed door.
«Wow, I knew you’d end up doing everything yourself!» he said, trying to mask his surprise with a grin.
The wife smirked, enjoying the moment. «Actually, it wasn’t me.»
«Oh?» he said, eyebrows raised. «Then who did it?»
With a twinkle in her eye, she replied, «Our neighbor. He was kind enough to help me out.»
The husband’s smile faded as he narrowed his eyes. «The neighbor, huh? And did he do it out of the kindness of his heart, or…?» he trailed off, looking suspicious.
She shrugged nonchalantly. «Oh, I gave him a choice. I said he could have either a freshly baked cake or…» she paused for dramatic effect, «…a thank-you kiss.»
Now visibly rattled, the husband straightened up. «And… what did you give him?»
Grinning, she looked him in the eye and said, «A cake, of course. What did you think?»
The husband chuckled nervously, realizing he’d been outplayed. He looked at the garden, then at his wife, who was clearly enjoying herself. «You know, maybe I’ll help out next time.»
The wife just smiled, heading inside to finish baking that cake. And from that day forward, the husband found himself surprisingly handy around the house.
