Prepare yourself for a dramatization of a dumbfounding event that occurred at Catavino Headquarters last Thursday morning.

Scene 1: The Mystery

The scene opens with me sitting down at my computer with a steaming hot cup of coffee. While scrolling through the news of the day, which included the ongoing trucker’s strike, my computer screen goes blank, my printer light dims to black and my lamp shutters before vanishing into the morning light. Shocked, I started flipping all the light switches on an doff in the house, hoping that it was simply a blown fuse in the office. It wasn’t. My entire house was without power, while the rest of the building continued chugging along heard by the elevator making its rounds from floor to floor. Clearly, only our apartment was the only one affected.

Realizing that I needed to call our electrical company, I fingered through my files to find my electricity bill, which typically lists a customer service number here in Spain. What it didn’t do, however, was tell me what the difference was between the two numbers listed. Playing inni minni mini mo, I chose the bigger of the two and dialed their number.

Endesa (Electricity Company): Hello, this is Maria. How can I help you today?
Gabriella: Hey Maria, my power just went out. Can you please help me?

Endesa: Sure. Do your neighbors have power?
Gabriella: Don’t have a clue, but the elevator and communal hallway have electricity.

Endesa: Well then it sounds like you need a private electrician. We can send someone over, but it will run you 70 euros that you’ll need to pay in cash when they arrive.
Gabriella: Ahhh, well, when we pay you every month, don’t we pay for this service too, considering that you’re …