Sharing house with other students can be a lot of fun. One of my house mates is studying microbiology and immunology and the other is studying engineering. We have some great discussions about diverse topics. The chores around the house are NOT evenly distributed but everything balances out by the end of the week.
I am first up on a Sunday morning and I have made it my habit to roam around the house collecting wine and beer glasses, coffee cups and a plethora of other crockery, much of which I NEVER want to know what the original contents of were and doing a big wash up. Don’t get me wrong, dishes get done throughout the week, but really who wants to do dishes late on a Saturday night?? So the music goes on, seriously hot water in the sink and away I go. It’s kinda nice when the others drag themselves out of bed later in the day to find the house clean and tidy ready for a day of serious relaxation or possibly study J
So Sunday a week ago I have plunged my hand into the task, when I find a glass with what I hope is orange juice really sticking to the bottom. I force the dish cloth down there and start swirling it around when I realise something is terribly wrong. The glass has cracked out at one side and I have just swirled my fingers through the jagged surface. PAPER TOWEL!!! The water was so hot that I haven’t felt any pain so I wrap my hand in paper towel and get the band-aide kit from the cupboard. By now my housemate and her boyfriend have appeared and I doubt they are used to this much entertainment first thing on a Sunday. Actually I was surprised that they had risen before lunch time! There are three cuts. One on the back of my hand, shallow and barely worth a band-aide. One on my thumb knuckle which has taken a chunk of skin away, this one is bleeding through the first band-aide so it can have two. Finally the side of my index finger. The glass has gone up the side like a cheese grater cutting a two centre meter long flap of skin and LOTS of blood. Many band-aides for this one.
I sat back on the couch and felt very satisfied as I watched the guys take over the dishes and finish the cleaning up. I was presented with a cuppa while I sat there watching re-runs of some geology documentary on ABC i-view. Later in the day I even noticed that part of the lawn had been mowed. Remarkable!
So yesterday I got up in the morning a little later than usual. My friends were up and looked at all of the dishes lying around the house. I held up my hand and pointed to the still nasty looking wound. ‘Sorry guys I don’t think I should soak it for too long in water, it might start bleeding again’. So they did the dishes while I watched and smiled. Next week I have decided that I still won’t be able to do the dishes…it’s the mental scarring…I’ve decided I will have PTSD where dishes are concerned. Besides it’s very satisfying watching others work.
😉
~Glenn