workmen

I was sitting on the floor with B in our apartment, looking out the windows, down to where men were working below. It was not the apartment where I really live now, but an imaginary place. We were talking about this and that and then I warned B that a man was going to look through the window and she should not be alarmed. Sure enough, one of the workmen had climbed a ladder up to our window and looked through. A second workman looked through the other window on the right and passed through a plastic plate with scraps left on it. As he handed it to me, I asked him what I was meant to do with it and he told me I should rinse it. I suggested that he was capable of rinsing it himself, and pointed him in the direction of the kitchen. He was followed by a few more workmen who all came through the window, went into the kitchen and cleaned up after their lunch and also helped themselves to the refrigerator. I thought that perhaps I had been a little harsh with the first workman so I went into the kitchen and asked another man if he needed any help. He answered that he was fine, that I didn't need to clean up after him and addressed me by my name. I remembered that I knew him and so I touched his shoulder as he passed. My familiarity was witnessed by very short workman who came and started joking with me and then touching me, not inappropriately, but annoyingly and in a way that invaded my personal space. At first I humoured him, then I pushed him away, but he kept on at it, trying, for some reason, to poke his finger in my eye. I yelled at him not to touch me and finally asked the others in the room if they could stop him. He seemed to become increasingly menacing until he finally stopped. I left the room and went into what had become a public toilet to wash my face. I heard a sound behind me and I started, splashing water at the poor girl who stood there looking a little surprised. I apologised and told her that I had been upset. I then saw B, who had not been there for the event but looked as though she had learned of it., walking down the hall toward me, and I felt relieved.