Practice for Sofa Love

Clara: There’s no Fill in the blank 1 of 3 . There’s no hot water. There’s a waterfall in that dark corner.

Manny: I just moved here last month. I looked hard to find a cozy home for us. I’ve been busy at the denture lab. I’m going to Fill in the blank 2 of 3 these problems. I’m going to Fill in the blank 3 of 3 of it all.

Clara: Manny, I want to believe you. But now, I’m not sure if I made the right decision to leave home to live in this… misery… I want to go home.

Musa: This Fill in the blank 1 of 3 is cold. You need to speak to your landlord.

Javier: I just moved in. I don’t want a conflict. My old landlord raised the Fill in the blank 2 of 3 every time I asked him to fix something.

Musa: That’s wrong. You have the Fill in the blank 3 of 3 to heat and hot water and an apartment in good condition. You need to read this, Javier. It’s from my office—the Public Engagement Unit. I want you to study it. It will be useful for your real life and your soap opera, too. Is that how you water your plants?

Javier: No. I think this just started.

Musa: Well, it looks like it’s not stopping. I think you should go upstairs to tell your neighbors there is a leak. Right now!

Javier: Actually, Musa, I think I need to find out the rules. What rights do Fill in the blank 1 of 3 have in regard to heat?

Musa: The landlord has to turn on the heat when the weather is below a certain Fill in the blank 2 of 3 . If you don’t get heat, use a thermometer to show the temperature, and call 311 to make a Fill in the blank 3 of 3 . I want you to call 311 or go to the 311 website and get the details about heat.

Javier: Okay.

Musa: For now, let’s practice about the leak. You’re going to see the super in the morning. Imagine I’m Frantz. What are you going say to me?

Clara: Out the window?! Is that how she got rid of the sofa?

Boris: No, no… The memories are out the window.

Clara: How did she Fill in the blank 1 of 3 the sofa?

Boris: I heard she called 311. It had a mattress, you know. So there are special rules.

Clara: 311? What’s that?

Boris: Oh, you know, the number for City Fill in the blank 2 of 3 and information. They have information about all City services. It’s not just for making complaints about noise or for parking rules. You can get information about vaccines, help with food, emergency rental assistance. You can even file a complaint if the landlord doesn’t Fill in the blank 3 of 3 problems in your apartment.

Clara: File a complaint…

Boris: They can connect you to services that can help with evictions.

Clara: 311! Good to know.

Boris: Please, excuse us.

Tatiana: Yes, please excuse us. We can’t control our emotions.

Clara: We understand.

Manny: Sometimes we can’t Fill in the blank 1 of 3 ourselves either.

Clara: How can we ever repay you, too? For the help you gave us with the apartment. Boris, your information was priceless.

Manny: It’s true, Boris. And thank you, my love, for showing me how to take charge… to Fill in the blank 2 of 3 our rights, to speak with the landlord and to make our home Fill in the blank 3 of 3 home.