I did something really silly today. It was 9 am and there were 4 of us at home - Y, S, the maid and yours truly. Y had school today only from 3-6 pm so she was not heading out for the school van as she usually is at that time. Instead she was all dressed, breakfasted and playing with her toys. S and the maid left at almost the same time. A few minutes later, the bell rang. Our milk had arrived. While opening the door, I noticed that the maid had not thrown out the trash bags. I was slightly annoyed with her for her oversight and without really thinking, I stepped out to deposit the trash bags in their designated place near the staircase (where the housekeeping guys pick it up later in the morning).
Now the thing with our front door is that it's one of those doors with the Godrej automatic locks that you find in most apartments nowadays. However, it's a much abused door; a few months ago, we had to break the lock on it as the key was getting jammed all the time; it also doesn't have a stopper (Y broke it!). The point is, that unlike most of these automatic doors, it doesn't close on its own. In fact every time we step out, we have to exert a fair amount of strength to prise it shut and turn the key in the lock. I knew all this and at the back of my mind, it also registered (dimly) that I didn't have my key and my cellphone with me when I stepped out, but I knew that the door wouldn't shut on its own and what the heck, I was outside the flat for precisely 5 seconds.
I know you know where this story is going :(
Imagine my shock when I turned back to the house, and I swear I wasn't away for more than 5 seconds, and I found that the door was firmly locked! Y was just inside the door because she had followed me when the doorbell rang. Sheer panic. Immediately I ran to the neighbour's place and asked to use their phone. There was so much static on the mobile line that I couldn't even figure out if S's phone was ringing or not. I used their landline to call S and asked him to come back home immediately since he has the only other spare key. Thankfully, on this day of all days, our car had a flat tyre and he hadn't even left the complex.
I kept talking to Y who was bemused at all the commotion. She didn't realize what had happened.
I shudder to think what might have been. Generally, by 9 am, my cooking for the day is in full swing and I could have had the gas on. S could have left for Gurgaon and taken forever to reach home. We would have had to break down the door.
I'm still beating myself over my carelessness. I know we all do stupid things, but that doesn't stop mommy guilt from rearing it's ugly head :(
Phew ..that was close.. that's perhaps gods way of letting you off with a warning.. remember? he loves you? :)
ReplyDeleteWhats with door locks .. I was locked inside my own home coz those darned automatic locks jammed in its lock position and keys would not open them! imagine... !
Had to break open the door lock.
Hey Dear
ReplyDeletesorry haven't been around for some time, havent read your previous posts. But will catch up...
But pls, no guilt. We all do it. At least once in our life. More, if your'e the kind of person I am ;-)
And often, the kids do it! Sonny locked my mom in the bathroom, which has a door leading into the backyard, thankfully. But while my mum got out, she couldn't get back into the house and he was alone, till my dad was called back with the spare key.
I can imagine your tension. But we must all thank god that nothing happened, and learn from it. My mom now doesn't close the bathroom door if just she and Sonny are at home! Gross, yes, but not dangerous at least!
And Sonny is scared of door locks!
@life_refactored: I hope he continues loving me for a loooong time :) Yeah those locks are annoying. Give me an old-fashioned bolt and latch any day!
ReplyDelete@forever mother: thanks dear. wait....u mean all the other people out there DON'T pee with the bathroom door open? Oops :)
Oh, such stress! :( Looks like your stars all aligned that day. I remember many such incidents--once, all four of us adults locked ourselves out--which is why we always used to leave a key at a neighbour's house.
ReplyDeleteAnother time, a neighbour's 3-year old once locked herself in the bathroom. Luckily, she was a calm child so didn't panic in the half-hour it took for a carpenter to reach the place.
Yikes that sounds scary - I think most important of all was that Y was on the same side of the door as you, that was a lot to be thankful for amidst the tension!
ReplyDeleteLOL on the bathroom door comment - I know how that is ;).
Automatic locks - hate them! I'm completely the forgetting the keys kind, so when we had a choice we went for the other kind.
HI aparna -- was that what i said? nooo...she was inside and i was outside...that's why i panicked so much! :(
ReplyDeleteSorry :(.. apparently I'm speed reading for catching up with posts, and read "inside" as "outside" where you talk about her following you! Wow again after understanding that in entirety! Glad it worked out quickly !!
ReplyDeleteYou wrote that so well, you were right that you could see what was going to happen. Just like a teraincrqash in slow motion, you can't tear your eyes away!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is great, I am a new follower.
We have two kids here in Australi and one of them sleep walks, we are really careful to lock the door as our eldest almost escaped one sleep walking night!! Scary!
When you have a minute, please feel free to drop past our kid friendly blog too!
http://beourbest.blogspot.com/
Euan
Aparna, getting locked in is always scary and unthinkably so...when it happens with your child inside..! Gosh.... And, like you said, if the gas had been on, it could not have been more drastic..
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of when I and my daughter got locked in inside the bathroom when she was just months old. I was giving her a bath and just when I was going to come out with the baby, the handle of the godrej lock fell and the door was sealed! For an hour I kept struggling to open it with a safety-pin and finally managed to come out! It was too darn scary..!