Mino and Nino decide to move to the city to find work. They call Papaia.
Papaia
Hello?
Mino
We want to come and stay with you while we look for work there.
Papaia
Oh, yes, of course! I’ll pay for your tickets.
As soon as he hangs up, his wife warns him.
Wife
You do remember you’ve tried this before, and it didn’t end well.
Papaia
Yes, but they’ve changed now.
When they arrive in the city, Papaia pays for a room for them at a B&B. Mino and Nino head out to look for work.
They find jobs working for a baker, an old man who hires them mainly because he has nobody else to talk to.
Mino and Nino call Papaia to give him the good news.
Papaia
That’s wonderful news!
Mino
Yes, but our room booking runs out today.
Papaia
No problem. I’ll pay for another week!
His wife, standing in the next room, gives him a disapproving look.
The following week, Nino shows up at the old man’s bakery with tears in his eyes.
Old Man
What’s happened?
Nino
I’m sorry, but we have to quit. We’ve run out of money for the room. It was all the savings we had…
Old Man
No, don’t do that! I have a house I don’t use. You can stay there!
Nino
Really?
The old man makes them a deal. He’ll deduct £300 a month from their wages in exchange for letting them use the house.
Papaia and his wife hear the news. His wife warns him again.
Wife
You know this isn’t going to work.
Papaia
Hey! They’re responsible for themselves!
Wife
Really? And what happens when the bills arrive?
Mino and Nino accept the offer and move into the old man’s house.
Winter arrives, and Mino calls him.
Old Man
Hello, go ahead.
Mino
Hi, how do you turn the heating on?
Old Man
The green button on the boiler… But make sure you don’t use it too much. It costs money to run.
The next morning, Mino and Nino have breakfast dressed for summer before heading to work.
Nino
Did you turn the heating off?
Mino
No, I’m cold…
Nino
We’re leaving in five minutes. We won’t be back until tonight…
Mino
Yes, but the house will be cold when we get back.
Mino and Nino leave for work, and the heating stays on.
When they arrive at the bakery, the old man greets them and asks how things are going.
Old Man
Did you turn the heating off?
Mino
Yes, yes… We’ve barely used it.
From that day on, the heating stays on all winter.
Papaia calls them to see how they’re getting on.
Papaia
So, everything going well at work?
Mino
Yes, yes.
Papaia
And is the house cold?
Mino
Yes, a bit, but we’re out all day anyway…
Papaia turns to his wife.
Papaia
See?
His wife rolls her eyes.
Mino hangs up and opens the window. Freezing wind blows into the house, but the heating keeps running at full blast.
While drinking an ice-cold fizzy drink, Nino accidentally leans against one of the pipes leading to the radiators.
Nino
Ouch! That’s hot!
Mino
Careful! Can’t you see the pipes are glowing red-hot?
One morning, Nino finds a letter and opens it.
Nino
Look… What’s this?
Mino
Nothing. Just one of the old man’s bills.
Nino
It says six thousand pounds!
Mino
Hide it.
Two days later, early in the morning, someone knocks on the door.
It’s the old man, absolutely furious.
Old Man
A six-thousand-pound bill? They’ve just taken it straight out of my bank account!
Mino
There must be a mistake… We never turn the heating on.
Igor, who has been spying through the open window, comments.
Igor
Actually, they only turned it on once… six months ago.
The old man spots the boiler running and realises the house is boiling hot.
Old Man
It’s forty degrees in here!
At that very moment, Nino comes downstairs in his underwear and opens the other window.
Nino
Honestly, Mino! I’ve told you a hundred times to open all the windows in the morning! It’s unbearably hot in here!
The old man stands motionless for a moment, then completely loses his temper.
Old Man
Get out of my house! Now!
That very evening, the doorbell rings at Papaia’s house.
His wife opens the door, already holding a set of bedsheets.
She lets them in, and Mino and Nino head straight for the sofa.