‘Everyone Must Evacuate Now!’ Scared Plumber Runs out from Basement of Old Building – Story of the Day

Gabriel’s attempts to evacuate the residents of an unsafe building land him and his family in danger when corrupt city officials decide to silence him.

Gabriel tightened the clamp on the section of a water pipe he'd just repaired and sighed. He'd finished the task his boss sent him here to do, but now he needed to investigate a bigger problem.

As he packed away his tools, Gabriel warily eyed a crack that zig-zagged from the floor of the basement wall all the way to the roof. In some places, it was wide enough to fit his hand. Gabriel tested the edges of the crack with his fingers and leaped back in surprise when a large chunk of concrete broke free and smashed to the floor.

"Dear God!" Gabriel removed his phone to take a photo of the crack. When his flash went off, he noticed another crack.

Gabriel followed the crack until it joined with yet another. An icy chill settled over his shoulders when he saw that the new crack ended in a series of deep, jagged lines and pockmarks where chunks of concrete had fallen to the floor. He ran his fingers over a section of exposed rebar on the corner of a nearby column.

This place felt like a tomb. The part of the city where the building was located was known for having problems with cracks caused by building on unstable ground, but what he saw in this basement was far more dangerous than a crack in the sidewalk.

This damage could kill everyone who lived in the building. Everyone living there had to evacuate immediately! Gabriel took more photos on his phone then ran upstairs to the exit. He needed to return to the municipal services office and report the danger to his boss right away.

"As you can see, sir, it's very bad." Gabriel showed his boss, Mateo, the photos on his phone. "The whole building will collapse when there's another earthquake, and could even fall apart before then. The people who live there are in serious danger."

Mateo nodded thoughtfully as he studied the pictures. "Did you fix the pipe, Gabriel?"

"Of course," Gabriel replied. "Another thing, sir, with all due respect, I must say that I'm worried about our inspection process if something like this can go unnoticed."

"Ah, Gabriel, you have such a strong sense of civic duty." Mateo patted Gabriel’s shoulder and took his phone from his hand. "But you're still new to this job and you need to understand how we work here. You did your job, and that's all we pay you to do. The rest of this is not your business."

"But sir, there are many families living in that building. They must be evacuated."

"Listen. You’re a good plumber so stick to your job and stop worrying about these things." Mateo smiled as he tapped on Gabriel's phone. "I've deleted those pictures so you don't think about this anymore. Now, why don't you take the afternoon off? Go home, and forget all about this business."

Gabriel swallowed the rest of his arguments. Mateo was clearly not going to listen, and Gabriel didn’t understand why he wasn’t taking this seriously. Unless…Gabriel’s heart sank as he studied Mateo’s cheerful smile. His boss was corrupt! He didn’t want to help because he was protecting his own interests.

Gabriel forced himself to smile and nod as he thanked Mateo for letting him leave early, but he was already thinking of a new plan.

Gabriel went straight from work to the mayor's office. Buildings painted in bright colors and vivid murals raced by as Gabriel wove through the traffic. It took him a long while to convince the secretary to let him see the mayor, but eventually, he was admitted into the office.

"Good afternoon.” The mayor stood to greet Gabriel with a warm smile and an outstretched hand. "I understand you have something important to discuss with me Mr..."

"Gabriel, and yes, Mr. Mayor. It's about an unsafe apartment building." Gabriel shook the mayor’s hand. “The people living there are in danger.”

Gabriel sat down and explained to the mayor what he'd seen that morning, and how he'd tried to report it to his boss. The mayor listened to every word with a worried frown. When Gabriel told him how Mateo deleted the pictures, the mayor let out an angry sound and began pacing.

"Every time I think I’ve rooted out all the corrupt people in this city, a new one appears!" The mayor exclaimed. "I will deal with this problem immediately, Gabriel. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. If there were more people like you in this city, I think we all would be much better off."

"I couldn't take the risk that those people might get hurt." Gabriel smiled as the mayor patted him on the back. Finally, someone would treat this issue with the seriousness it deserved!

When Gabriel left his office, the mayor picked up his cell phone and found the number for Mateo, the man in charge of municipal services.

"I need you to report to my office immediately," the mayor told Mateo. "I expect to see you here within the hour."

The mayor gritted his teeth and paced his office while he waited for Mateo.

He couldn't believe how negligent the man had been! How could he send Gabriel home after finding out about the cracks in that building?

The mayor glanced out the window at the colorful sprawl of the city. He'd lived here all his life and had worked hard to reach a position where he could make a difference in this city. He wouldn't let one man destroy that.

When Mateo arrived, the mayor gestured to him to take the seat Gabriel had so recently vacated.

"It seems we have a problem," the mayor said. "A metiche called Gabriel who wants to stick his nose in our business. I'm interested to hear why you didn't deal with him when he first came to you."

"I tried!" Mateo raised his hands. "I told him to stick to his job and not worry about anything else. Most guys get it after that but this plumber..." Mateo shook his head. "He's young, he doesn't understand how the world works."

"You need to understand how precarious our position is!" The mayor jabbed his finger at Mateo. "We can't allow our schemes to be exposed by this do-gooder."

"I know! It will ruin our careers."

"Our careers?" The mayor slapped his palm down on his desk. "We could end up in jail, you idiot! This plumber must be silenced."

"Of course." Mateo nodded. "I'll warn him that he'll lose his job if he keeps causing trouble. I know he has a family to care for so that ought to shut him up."

The mayor stared at Mateo across his desk. What did he do wrong to end up working with such stupid people? How could anyone expect him to run such a large city when all his subordinates were so miserably incompetent?

"Oh..." Mateo frowned. "You meant he should be silenced in a more permanent way, didn't you?"

"Mateo, just stick to your job." The mayor leaned back in his chair. "I will take care of this situation."

Mateo left the mayor's office with a heavy heart. He liked Gabriel and had high hopes for the young man when he hired him. Mateo had assumed he'd adjust to the perks of a government job; the man had a family, after all, and could surely use the extra cash.

If only Gabriel hadn't gone to the mayor. Mateo didn't want to believe that the man would have Gabriel killed, but people who caused trouble for the mayor had disappeared before.

"I have to do something." Mateo hurried to catch a bus. He couldn't let Gabriel die for something so stupid as a few cracks in a building.

It was getting late by the time Mateo arrived at Gabriel's house. He banged on the door a long time before Gabriel answered.

"Mr. Mateo, what are you doing here?" Gabriel frowned at him.

"I'm here to save you."

Mateo pushed past Gabriel to enter his home. "You must pack your things and leave immediately. Get out of this city, before it's too late!"

"What do you mean, Mr. Mateo?" Gabriel's eyes widened. "Why must I leave?"

"You've angered the wrong people by complaining about that building," Mateo replied in a low voice. "Now please, don't ask any more questions. Take your family—"

"What did you do?" Gabriel grabbed the front of Mateo’s shirt in his fists. "You corrupt piece of garbage! What devil have you brought down on me?"

"You did this to yourself, you fool!" Mateo shoved Gabriel away. "Nobody asked you to be such a busybody."

"How can you be so heartless?"

Mateo was about to reply, but then he saw a dark car with tinted windows pull up outside Gabriel's home through the window. Another car parked across the road just as the driver of the first car climbed out and strode toward Gabriel's house.

"It's too late." Mateo pushed Gabriel away from the front door. "You and your family must run, now! I'll try to buy you some time."

Gabriel hurried away. Mateo heard him speaking to his wife, then the shuffle of hurried footsteps through the home. There was a brisk knock at the front door, but Mateo didn't answer it until he heard the click of the backdoor being shut.

The person at the front door knocked again. Mateo took a deep breath and opened the door. The man waiting outside tilted his head back and the orange glow from the light revealed his face.

"Mateo. What a surprise to find you here," the mayor said.

Gabriel carried his young daughter, Sofia, while he ran. Isabella, his wife, kept pace at his side. The streets in his suburb were a maze and he was certain he could lose his pursuers if only he could get a big enough head start.

Dogs barked and heavy footsteps echoed on the street behind them. Gabriel glanced back as the family reached a corner and saw two men racing up the street behind them.

"Quickly." Gabriel moved ahead. "I know a place where we can hide."

Isabella didn’t say a word as she followed Gabriel across a neighbor’s yard, up a curving road, and into a junk yard on the corner. Gabriel set his daughter down, helped Isabella climb into the back of one of the large trucks parked in the yard, then passed Sofia up to her.

Gabriel joined them just as the men rounded the corner of a large heap of twisted metal.

"I’m sure they came in here," one of the men yelled. "Find them!"

Sofia started to cry. While Isabella stroked the girl’s hair and urged her to be quiet, Gabriel leaned close and cupped his daughter’s cheek in his hand.

"Shh, mijita," Gabriel whispered. "We must be quiet now, and we must be brave."

The family huddled together and listened to the crunch of their pursuers’ boots on the dirt. They barely dared to breathe as the men drew closer to their hiding spot.

"I've worked very hard to reach the top of the political food chain in this city," the mayor said as he helped himself to a drink from Gabriel's fridge. "I've done my best to surround myself with people I can trust to do a good job. I thought I could rely on you, Mateo, but now I see I was wrong."

"No, sir." Mateo raised his hands in a placating gesture. "You can count on me, you know you can! Haven't I always come through for you in the past?"

"The past, yes, but now..." the mayor shook his head like a disappointed father.

Mateo gulped. He watched the mayor drink from the glass bottle and considered ways he could get himself out of this sticky situation. He was about to remind the mayor of all the times he'd proven himself when one of the mayor's henchmen entered the front door.

"We didn't find the plumber," the henchman said. "There's no sign of him or his family."

The mayor swore and threw his bottle against the wall, smashing it into sharp, glittering pieces. He stomped over to the henchman and drew the gun secured at the man's waist.

"You're fired, Mateo," the mayor said.

Meanwhile, Gabriel was passing Sofia over to his wife, Isabella. After the men left the scrap yard, the family had run to the nearest bus depot. There, Gabriel had bought tickets for Isabella and Sofia.

"What about you, Gabriel?" Isabella stared into her husband's eyes as she soothed her daughter.

"I will follow you soon, cariño." He kissed Isabella.

"I must warn those people that their building is unsafe. Nobody else is going to help them so I must."

"Then let us wait for you." Isabella had tears in her eyes. "We'll travel to my parents' house together."

Gabriel shook his head. "It's too dangerous, and I need to know that you and Sofia are safe. I promise, I will join you soon."

The bus was boarding now. Gabriel hurried his wife and daughter toward it. As they reached the door, Isabella hugged Gabriel fiercely.

"Eres mi vida, Gabriel," Isabella whispered. "Don't make me wait too long for you."

"I'll be there in time to kiss you good morning," Gabriel promised.

Gabriel was exhausted by the time he reached the hazardous apartment building. Most of the windows were dark, but he couldn't wait until morning to warn the residents that their building was on the verge of collapse.

"Hey, open up!" Gabriel banged his fist on the door of the first apartment.

"Go away," a man shouted from inside. "It's one in the morning."

"No! You have to listen to me, your life is in danger."

The man behind the door laughed. "Everyone’s life is always in danger in this neighborhood. Go home, you crazy drunk."

Gabriel was getting nowhere. He moved to the next door. It opened after the first time he knocked.

"What is your problem, why are you shouting in the hallway at this time of night?" The tattooed man who answered the door scowled at him.

"This building is not safe," Gabriel said. "There are big cracks in the basement. It could collapse at any moment."

"There are cracks in the basement?" A woman appeared at the man's side and placed her hand on his arm. "Maybe we should do as he says, cariño."

"And go where?" The man turned to the woman and spread his arms. "This building has survived earthquakes, hermosa. Why would it collapse now? This man is probably drunk anyway."

"No, I'm not drunk!" Gabriel replied, but the door had already shut in his face.

Gabriel went from door to door trying to warn the residents. Most swore at him from the other side of the door and told him to go away. A few listened to his warning, but they refused to leave.

"Will you take me to stay at your place, big guy?" one woman asked him. "Because I'm not going back to sharing a room with three sisters in my parents' house."

Another man said he'd have to go to a shelter if he left his apartment. "And they'd take my daughters away from me," the man finished.

Gabriel looked up the staircase leading to the next floor of the building. Knocking on doors was getting him nowhere. He'd have to do something drastic to get these people to evacuate the building.

Gabriel took the lid from a trash can he found outside and banged on it with a broken broom handle while marching along the sidewalk.

"Get out, get out!" Gabriel shouted. "This building is not safe."

"Not you again!" A woman leaned out of a window on the second floor. "How many times must we tell you to go away?"

"Yeah, let us sleep." Another man leaned out and hurled a jug of water at Gabriel.

"I'm calling the police," an older woman shouted.

"No, please listen." Gabriel raised his hands. "I'm trying to help all of you. If you go into the basement you'll see for yourself how dangerous the building is. I know many of you have nowhere else to go, but isn't it better to get out and try to find another place instead of dying here?"

The doors leading into the apartment building opened and a group of men walked up to Gabriel. He could’ve cried in relief. Finally, the people were listening to him!

"Thank you for believing me," Gabriel said. "Please, let's not waste any more time. Everyone must—"

A punch in the face silenced Gabriel and sent him reeling backward. One of the other men shoved him while he was still off balance and Gabriel fell into the gutter. A kick to his stomach knocked the breath from his body.

He wanted to plead with the men to stop, but all he could do was curl up into a ball to protect himself as they rained blow after blow down on him. He heard distant voices, but not what they said. It seemed to go on forever before the men walked away.

Gabriel blinked up at the building. There were no more faces at the windows now. As he watched, the lights in the apartments went out one by one.

What can we learn from this story?

• Some problems are too big to solve on your own. Although Gabriel’s heart was in the right place, he underestimated the forces he was up against and was unable to help the residents effectively.
• Every action has a consequence. No matter how hard we try to ensure our choices lead to good outcomes, nobody can plan for the unexpected effects our actions may cause.

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This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.