First Drain Game

The first event of the Drain Plumber Games was drain camera inspection, an odd one to start with, in my opinion. Because we were competing in reverse plumber’s alphabetical order obviously I was last, seeing as my name is Steph Jennings. I would have preferred to go sooner but there was nothing to be done about it. So I sat and watched as a hundred other plumbers did their best drain blockage camera inspections. Melbourne drains can be tricky and the simulated drains did their best to throw obstacles in the way.

The camera footage was shown up on the big screens around the showgrounds, allowing the crowd to see every second of it. Every twist and turn along the way. It was like that board game, Surgery. If your drain camera hit the pipe or an obstacle, there was a big vibration and the competitor’s attempt was over. Whoever could find the cause of the blockage in the fastest time was the winner. By the time it got to me, the record stood at fifteen seconds. It would be tough to beat.

“Our final tradie,” announced the MC, “is Steph Jennings, best known for clearing all the blocked drains within Preston in a single day. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Steph!”

The crowd cheered for me loud, although they had no idea what I was capable of yet. They’d be in raptures soon. I took to the stand and knelt before the simulation drain. I didn’t grab any tools yet. The crowd gasped. That was a serious waste of time.

The buzzer sounded and I grabbed not the drain camera gear but instead took a saw from the toolbox. Shock went through the crowd again and the MC commented on my odd move. I brought the saw to the pipe and began to hack through it.

Five seconds later the pipe broke. I grabbed it and looked inside, finding the cause of the blockage. “Tissues!” I yelled. “Somebody put tissues down the drain!”

“Incredible!” called the MC. “Steph Jennings has discovered the cause of the blockage in seven seconds. She is the winner!”