Monday, 22 July 2013
Seven Steps
By Norm Jenson of Mostly Anecdotal
I think my wife is trying to kill me. There are seven steps from the living room to the bedroom and there are seven steps from the bedroom to the living room. Seven steps, seven opportunities to trip. Seven opportunities to stumble. Seven opportunities where a gentle push or pull could lead to disaster.
There is a light in the hall that, when on, illuminates the steps. It puts an end to the shadows that obscure the steps and make them less distinct.
And there’s her dog, the one she’s trained, a co-conspirator curled up at the bottom of the stairs. The dog is brown and white and blends quite well with its surroundings.
Seven chances to go wrong and then quite unexpectedly, her dog, like a child’s toy that I don’t notice until I’m ready to take my last step.
I leave the hall light on day and night, one cannot be too careful. But my wife turns it off, even at night when it is most needed.
I’ve asked her to leave it on but she thinks it’s not really necessary. But I need it, I could slip, I could stumble, I could misstep and take a nasty fall. I could break a bone. I could even die. I would lie at the bottom of the stairs, maybe merely crumpled or perhaps completely dead.
She would find me and say, you should have turned on the light. You could have avoided this accident. Or if I were dead, she wouldn’t need to say anything.
“Turn on the light if you need to go down the stairs at night,” she says. But the switch is near the top of the stairs and one could trip reaching for it in the dark. I think it’s better to leave it on.
But not her, she thinks I’m being silly. “You don’t think I’m trying to kill you,” she says, “do you?”
[INVITATION: All elders, 50 and older, are welcome to submit stories for this blog. They can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, etc. Please read instructions for submitting.]
Posted by Ronni Bennett at 05:30 AM | Permalink | Email this post
Comments
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Norm:
Your well-written anecdote is a cautionary tale for all old people; falls account for nearly half of the premature deaths in our demographic.
I assume you meant the tale to be a bit tongue-in-cheek. If it's not, make your wife sit down and memorize it.
Posted by: Marc Leavitt | Monday, 22 July 2013 at 06:49 AM
Hmmm, did your wife just have you take out a large insurance policy? If so, cancel it immediately!!
Posted by: joanne zimmermann | Monday, 22 July 2013 at 08:30 AM
Marc,
The tale is indeed cautionary and most certainly tongue-in-cheek.
My wife says even if were completely dead I'd get a kiss goodbye.
Posted by: Norm | Monday, 22 July 2013 at 09:24 AM
Simple tale told well.
Posted by: Jackie Harrison | Monday, 22 July 2013 at 10:12 AM
Well do you? Why not live dangerously and try going down in the dark - does wonders for your night vision and would worry your wife sick! You'd probably find she'd start leaving the light on - at least I hope so.
Posted by: Jeanette | Tuesday, 23 July 2013 at 09:58 PM
Well, I don't know you so I don't know if this is real or not....but I am thinking it is real. Mission accomplished!
By the by, your story makes me glad I am single.
Posted by: Riverwatch | Sunday, 28 July 2013 at 10:26 AM