The Awakening

 

I awoke to such grumblings, the likes I’ve never heard.  I, having taken so long to fall asleep, now startled and annoyed at such rudeness – what was this loud agitation? Surely not an earthquake and thunder has always kept its distance.

But here it is again – shaking my pipes and rattling my nerves. It had to be a man-made event for Mother Nature had long since gone to bed, freezing her ground and covering herself with a thick blanket of snow.  It could not possibly be her making such a racket, and not at this hour.

Was some intruder attempting to gain access?  If so, they need to work on their element of surprise.  It’s as if they were dragging a bag of clown shoes behind them.  And yet, somehow familiar – this sound, now that I am a little more awake. I know it from somewhere, but where?

Then, as if the overhead light had snapped on, it came to me.  I suddenly knew what it was, and just as quickly I knew that I was to blame, although my explanation might pacify a judge, my own stupidity was – at this very moment – handing down a very heavy fine.

In my haste to escape winter I had failed to clear the sprinklers of water.  I neglected to shut down the timer that was scheduled to keep my lawn lush and green, and now – in their attempt to simply do their job, they were trying to pump gallons upon gallons of water up through the frozen ground.

A laughable force against Mother Nature, for my pipes were splitting, sprinkler heads were bursting against the pressure and although I wouldn’t see it until summer, my wallet was suffering major leaks in all directions.

 

I might as well get up.  I'm wide awake now.