Episode 17: The Lumpy Mattress & Bathroom Reno — 5,000 Core English Words

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Chapter seventeen. A bad mattress and a sick day.

The house is lovely, but the bed came with it, and the mattress is old and full of lumps. This morning Ryan wakes up in the darkness with a pain in his neck, a sore throat, and a feeling that he should not go to work.

Listen to how people talk about the body and about feeling ill, how to call in sick, and how to shop for a mattress.

Emma: Ryan? It's six thirty. Are you all right?

Ryan: No. I slept badly. My neck hurts, my knee hurts, and my whole body feels weak.

Emma: Is it the mattress again?

Ryan: Partly. It's unbelievable. There's a lump under my arm and a hole under my back. It's like sleeping on a bag of potatoes.

Emma: Your voice sounds strange. Open your mouth. Let me see.

Ryan: Why?

Emma: Because your nose is red, your eyes are red, and you've had a cough since Monday. Your skin is hot. I think you have a fever.

Ryan: It's just a cold. It's common in the fall.

Emma: It could be the flu. Half of my students are sick. Do you have a pain in your ears? In your head?

Ryan: A little, behind the eyes. And my heart is going fast.

Emma: That's the fever. You're not going to work. You're going to stay in bed, drink water, and take a pill.

Ryan: I have an important meeting.

Emma: It's not more important than you. Nobody wants you to bring this to the office. Promise me you'll call your boss.

Ryan: OK. I promise.

Manager: Hello, this is David.

Ryan: Hi, David. It's Ryan. I'm sorry to call so early.

Manager: That's all right. What's up? You sound terrible.

Ryan: I'm not feeling well. I think I have the flu, so I won't be able to come in today.

Manager: I'm sorry to hear that. Have you seen a doctor?

Ryan: Not yet. If the fever doesn't go down, I'll go tomorrow.

Manager: Good. Take the day. Take two, if you need them. Who can run the meeting?

Ryan: Simon knows the proposal better than I do. I'll send him my notes, and I'll respond to anything urgent by email.

Manager: Don't. Rest. We'll struggle on without you. Feel better soon.

Ryan: Thanks, David. I appreciate it.

Emma: What did he say?

Ryan: He was great. He told me to rest. I feel awkward, though. I'm never ill.

Emma: Everybody gets ill. It's normal. Here, I made tea, and I put a soft cotton blanket on the sofa. It's better than that bed.

Ryan: Thank you. You're a good nurse.

Emma: I'm a terrible nurse, and you're a terrible patient. Do you want me to call Dr. Okafor? He's in the book, in alphabetical order, under O. I never know the spelling, or how to pronounce it.

Ryan: Not yet. I don't want any drugs. I just want to sleep.

Emma: Did I tell you about our neighbor, Mr. Lopez? Last spring he had a heart attack in the garden. Mrs. Lopez called an ambulance, and they took him to the hospital. He had an operation the same night.

Ryan: Is he all right now?

Emma: He's fine. He was in danger for a few days, but now he does exercise every morning, and he changed his whole lifestyle. No fat, no sugar. He says he feels like a new man.

Ryan: I don't have the bones for exercise. Or the brain, today.

Emma: You're not dying. You have a cold. The last time you saw blood, at the dentist, you nearly fell off the chair.

Ryan: That was an accident. The chair moved.

Emma: Of course it did. Now close your eyes. I'll sing to you if you don't.

Ryan: Please don't. That would kill me.

Emma: How rude. I gave birth to that joke, and you used it against me.

By Saturday, Ryan is fit again, and they drive to a mattress store. The cleaning is finished, the windows are open, and it is the opening weekend of a big sale. A salesman walks up to them.

Salesman: Good morning, folks. Can I help you find anything?

Emma: Yes, please. We're looking for a new mattress. Ours is very old.

Salesman: You've come to the right place. What size do you need?

Ryan: A queen.

Salesman: And do you prefer soft or firm?

Emma: That's the difference between us. I like soft. He likes firm.

Salesman: That's very common. We have a type with two contrasting sides. It's soft on the left and firm on the right. Would you like to try it?

Ryan: Can we lie down on it?

Salesman: Please do. Take your shoes off, and pay attention to your back and your shoulders. Don't hurry.

Emma: Oh. Oh, that's great. I'm never getting up.

Ryan: It's very good. It doesn't feel sticky or hot. What's it made of?

Salesman: Cotton on top, and a material that keeps its shape. It's safe for people with allergies. May I ask, to whom does the bad back belong?

Ryan: To me. Mostly my neck.

Salesman: Then I'd give you the same guidance I give everyone: touch it, lie on it, and take your time. Your body knows more than any businessman like me.

Emma: How much is it?

Salesman: Normally twelve hundred. This weekend, it's eight ninety-nine.

Ryan: That's more than I thought. What's the maximum we wanted to spend?

Emma: A thousand. So we're fine. Does it come with a warranty?

Salesman: Ten years. And if you're not satisfied within one hundred nights, you can return it. No questions.

Emma: Do you deliver?

Salesman: We do. Delivery is free, and we take the old one away safely. We can come as early as Tuesday.

Ryan: And you won't just leave it at the door? Last time a company did that. It was unacceptable. They spoke to us quite rudely, too.

Salesman: Not us. Two men carry it in, set it up, and leave. They won't invade your home for more than ten minutes.

Emma: Then we'll take it. Is there an empty desk where we can sign?

Salesman: Right over here. You've made a great choice. Later this week, you'll sleep like babies.

Ryan: Nothing earthly could make me happier. Except maybe a player on my team who can actually score.

Emma: One problem at a time. Read the form before you sign, please. And very slowly.

Salesman: Take all the time you need. By the way, we also sell pillows from every ethnic tradition you can think of. But that's for another day.

That is the end of chapter seventeen. Ryan called in sick, rested, and then chose a mattress that is soft on one side and firm on the other.

Keep these with you: "I'm not feeling well." "I won't be able to come in today." "Does it come with a warranty?" "Do you deliver?"

In the next chapter, the new bed is perfect, but the living room is not. It is time to move the furniture.

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