Where’s A Video Camera When You Need One

Laura and I were living in a two bedroom apartment at Pfeiffer College in Misenhiemer NC. Laura was expecting our first child and morning sickness did not confine itself to the mornings. It was a typical evening after classes and I was seated in a large rustic wooden rocking chair with a lapboard across the chair arms; books and papers spread across the board, immersed in the days homework.

Laura was laying on the couch watching TV with her newest best friend a mop bucket by her side. I noticed she began to get up, it was not the familiar quick reach to the mop bucket, but a more at ease move toward a sitting position: then up to her feet. Suddenly the movement changed to a run toward the hallway that lead both to the bathroom and our bedroom. Moments after she disappeared down the hallway I heard a loud and unexpected crashing noise.

Fearing she had fallen and perhaps injured herself I sprang into action. The lapboard, books papers, pens, pencils and every thing else went flying across the living room. I ran to the hallway and proceeded down the length of it at top speed. The hallway was empty, except for the unseen puddle of what had been a well enjoyed meal of Grape Juice and Oatmeal occupying the floor just in front of the bathroom door. The noise I had heard was Laura bracing her self against the bathroom door as she stopped to part company with the Grape Juice and Oatmeal. Laura then had proceeded on into the bathroom.

Meanwhile the interaction between my feet and the hitherto mentioned puddle caused an interesting and unexpected loss of traction. My feet flew straight out in front on me as the rest of my body took its new position on the floor. Of course this was not a motionless position I now assumed but a motion that maintained the full forward momentum of the run my feet had initiated. My journey then preceded on down the hallway coming to an abrupt termination in our bedroom. I now found myself up to my waist under our bed, quite well wedged in to place.

After extracting myself from this new position under the bed, I headed back up the hallway to check on Laura’s condition. I found myself dripping with a strange substance chunky in texture and somewhat purple in appearance. I found Laura setting on the edge of the bathtub, laughing uncontrollably. Since she seemed to be OK, I undertook the task of puddle removal. It is true you never have a Video Camera when you need one!