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4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 29 JULY 2026 NEWS EVA BRANNON ebrannon@mediatoday.com.mt Let them buy boats! The prime minister points to boat purchases as evidence of Malta's prosperity. At a Marsaskala boathouse, THE power was out. I shuffled around a dark house, trying to find my keys. I had to get to Marsaskala by 10pm. I drank what was left of the cold water and took off. Down the dark streets, past the chapel, to the bus stop. I sat down beside an old woman and waited. The bus was late. "Which bus are you waiting for?" I asked. The elderly still trust the schedule printed on every bus stop, which is mean- ingless in 2026. "The 106," Rita replied. I learned her name was Rita. "I have an appointment at Mater Dei, but I don't think the bus is coming." I pulled out my phone and checked for the 106. "You're right, it's not com- ing." "I guess I'm going to have to walk it again," she said in resig- nation. "To the hospital? In this heat? I can barely get to the bus stop without feeling exhausted," I blurted out. "Well, I'm 79 now," Rita chuckled. "Just imagine how exhausted I am." "Don't walk it. Catch the 54 and stop at the roundabout. There are plenty of buses that go through there. You might still make your appointment." So, that's what she did. I couldn't tell you if she made it. Last week, I heard about a man with cancer who uses a wheelchair and had to miss a doctor's appointment because of a power cut. His wife post- ed about it on Facebook. The lift in their apartment stopped working, and, in her words, she couldn't carry him down four flights of stairs. Isn't it cra- zy that she thought about it? That's real love. I hope my nanna's doing okay. There's another outage in San- ta Luċija. Or that's what I've heard. The Enemalta website says there's stable electricity all over the island, but every- one here knows that's a lie. Just check Facebook. Nanna's a year too young to be allowed into the cooling centres. She always tells me she's okay, but I worry. I spoke to an elderly neigh- bour of hers when I went over last Monday. Let's call her Mary. "The electricity goes out for about three hours every night," Mary said. "What are you sup- posed to do? Stare at the ceil- ing? There is this ringing. This loud ringing. It lasts the whole three hours. I call Enemalta to find out what's going on, but they never answer the phone. I don't hear it anymore. I take my pills and go to sleep." Mary also told me her gov- ernment apartment building has a chronic drainage prob- lem. Every few months, her toilet stops flushing. Reasons unknown. Probably old pipes. The day before we spoke, she had finally managed to get someone from Public Works to pick up. "The woman on the phone said, 'Leave it up to me.' All this time I've been calling them, I never found someone as kind as her. She told me, 'It's not the government's fault.' Everyone says it's because of the govern- ment, but it's not their fault." The 72-year-old woman has been waiting for a plumber to show up since 6 July. Mary is very patient. Anyway, my nanna's doing okay. I got to Marsaskala sometime around 11pm. Got off the bus near St Thomas Bay and walked down beside the seashore, by the ice cream truck and the small beach hidden behind it. The reggae joint is across the street. It's a 15-minute walk to the boathouses. I was about to take the turn up to Jolene's street, when I heard a familiar song. It couldn't be. They don't play The Doors at bars. But they were. People Are Strange. There wasn't even a bar there. But there was. I noticed an unfamiliar sign stuck to a pole: COLD DRINKS SOLD CHEAP. Can't argue with that. Jolene would just have to meet me there. And she didn't mind one bit. Apparently, she had been meaning to check the place out for a while. Two brothers had converted a steel shipping con- tainer into a bar. You can get a rum-coke for €2.50. They play good music too. Those aren't things you find everywhere. Their little sister sat nearby, playing in the sand. Jolene arrived in a red dress and ordered an Excel. Also €2.50. I was never one for beer, but I can appreciate COLD DRINKS SOLD CHEAP. We sat down at the makeshift pal- let tables and Jo lit a cigarette. "So, how have these pow- er cuts been treating you?" I asked. "Well, I don't have it," she laughed. "I'm kind of just chill- ing." I'm not sure if that was meant to be a pun. "Didn't you say your water tank is filled with green water?" "That has nothing to do with electricity and everything to do with the heat. As much as I'd like to blame the government, I don't think this is their fault," Jolene said. Fair enough. "What about your fridge?" "I feel like I'm being personal- ly attacked right now!" she said, still laughing, and took a drag of her Rothmans cigarette. Jo went on to explain that the electricity repeatedly going out and coming back had killed her fridge. "So now, therefore, I have lost