Fun Stories
We had not been married long but I knew the Saturday work routine: yard work of raking, mowing, and trimming. The two children were busy raking up all the blossoms that had fallen on the ground from a half dozen 30-foot camellias that lined the front yard. A messy job, but one they could handle. My husband had completed the mowing and was now hosing off the yard and the driveway when I entered the scene. I walked down the driveway admiring how nice everything looked, making a comment in a laughing tone: “Good job! Nice work! So glad you didn’t need MY help.” With that my husband turned from squatting position and sprayed me from head to toe, laughing his head off. The kids didn’t know what to do! Laugh along with their father, or run just in case they were next? Let alone they had no idea what I might do or say. I was absolutely soaked. I started laughing. Then we all laughed together. I did, however, issue a warning that retribution would be forthcoming.
Indeed, it came one morning when my 6’4” handsome man entered the kitchen with a teasing remark. I just happened to be at the sink rinsing dishes. Big mistake on his part; and perfect timing for me, as I saw my opportunity to get even. I turned toward him and sprayed him with the faucet wand. “Gotcha!” Oh, it was fabulous!!! He was totally stunned and sputtering. The children were still sitting at the counter and witnessed the whole event holding their breath, until my gentle giant started laughing with a smile on his face “Oh, it’s not over,” he said as he gave me a big kiss and a wet hug. I had the feeling of security now that the score had been settled. I mistakenly dismissed the “Oh, it’s not over.”
I’ve been known to be a neat-nick and newspapers are at the top of my list as messy items. Sunday morning the huge LA TIMES had arrived, been rifled through, (with the ad section, want ads and the magazine insert scattered all over the floor) and left next to his favorite chair. Deeply involved in the sports section, he didn’t notice that I had already picked up and discarded the ‘unwanted‘ news.
An hour or so later he inquired as to where the paper had gone. I shouted back “In the trash.” “What! -You threw out the movie section?” came his frustrated reply. “Sorry, I’ll go find it,” I replied apologetically. Returning from the trash yard I came around the corner of the kitchen and was sprayed from head to toe with the fire extinguisher. I looked like frosty the snowman. He was laughing so hard he could hardly stand up. I, on the other hand, was in shock and thinking “This is NOT funny” — But it was! Needless to say, it took some doing to clean up the mess. We then agreed – TRUCE!!!
I must say, forty-nine years later it still makes me laugh when I think about the fire extinguisher episode.
