Casa Rosales

Casa Rosales

Wednesday 30 January 2013

That sinking feeling....

Last week, I waved goodbye to FR early on Tuesday morning as he set off for a couple of days in Granada rehearsing with his group of actors. He's very pleased with their progress and soon we will be able to go to a preview.

I've adjusted to living 24/7 with my husband. It wasn't easy at first. We struggled to make space for each other and we are now much better at it. But the idea of having my own space for a few days was rather nice. And whilst we're on the subject, I should say that  I also crave time away from my children. I am assuming this is normal.  I don't resent them in any way, I still love their constant chatter and noise; I don't feel I'm a danger towards them in any way. No....I just would really like a little 'me' time occasionally and I get precious little. So on Tuesday, as I returned from the school walk and closed the door behind me, it was - hurray - just me and Darwin.

Tuesday went fine. We kept the log fire going on our own without 'Man' watching over it in his usual protective and altogether paranoid manner. We ate, drank (water) and were merry though at bedtime, Romy missed her papa and had to call him to say goodnight, of course.

The next morning, Mateo even got up early without the usual prodding, poking and yelling needed to extract him from his pit. I went to teach my Spanish class - a good turn out and a merry bunch. Home again to prepare a favourite of the children - spaghetti bolognese - and to prepare for my afternoon's teaching.

I got slightly sidetracked reading my favourite blogs....no blame attached to that, but just so you know I wasn't idling my time away on YouTube or busy cleaning the bath - no, it was fellow bloggers that distracted me, so that suddenly, it was past the time to go and meet the children from school.

So I dashed out, slamming the inner door (you have to or it doesn't close properly) - and as the Yale lock clicked in.....I had that sinking feeling. The stomach dropped, the jaw fell open, the hand went out instinctively and uselessly to the door. The keys were still inside.

Running down to school - no point making a mountain out of a molehill and being late too - all I kept thinking was 'We're locked out; we're locked out; we're locked out!' in fifty shades of grey. Then I bumped into Juan Carlos, a friend and fellow parent, and subjected him to a stream of unconscious thought - in Spanish - relating to being locked out; having left the keys inside the house; including the car keys; wondering whether Mateo had a spare set or not; wondering whether Darwin had food and water; wondering whether I had turned off the gas under the bolognaise sauce..or not;...and so on.

By the time I met the children, I had decided that we would keep calm and see if Mateo had his keys. I'd asked him just the day before and he couldn't find them but I had a sneaking hope that maybe in an emergency, they'd be somewhere on his person...one had to hope. Juan Carlos offered to take the children home with him and feed them, which was a relief at least.  However, as we walked home and I explained the situation, making it sound as 'fun' as possible, I said that in the last resort, we'd have to wait until Papa got home.....then I had another sinking feeling. FR had no keys with him. There was no last resort.

Brain into overdrive - we HAD to get in. Romy was despatched to her friend's house; Ruy and I came home planning to seek out our landlord (I was pretty sure he had no keys but maybe he could help...only Ruy knew where he lived. Good old Ruy!) but first, we thought we'd ask our neighbours if they had a ladder we could borrow. The first one didn't. The second came out with a rickety old step ladder, with a missing step halfway up. Hmmm.


Too high



The plan was to go up to the balcony and check whether we could get in through one of the windows there.





And the backup plan was to go up onto the terrace and enter through there as I knew the door was open.

But the terrace was far too high for the step ladder...
we'd need a big ladder to get up here!


High enough





So, with fingers crossed and much unnecessary advice from the neighbours, I advanced up the ladder. Despite my neighbour saying to stand on the electric cables and hoist myself up that way (or words to that effect in Spanish) - I couldn't do it. I just couldn't reach - would you?

So we sent Ruy up. He couldn't reach either but I got him to stand on my hand and I gave him a good push so he could reach the railings and bless him, he pulled himself up and over, safely onto the balcony.





Oh what joy!! Romy's window opened up and we were in!!




My angel hero. He was cool about his heroic action but secretly very pleased especially as he's not so good at heights and has an exaggerated sense of danger.
It was a win-win situation in the end. We got in; Ruy was heroic; Romy had lunch at her friend's house...and when Mateo came home, we found the spare keys in his school rucksack!!

What had started with a sinking feeling ended up leaving us all feeling absolutely as high as kites!

And we had great fun telling FR about it when he came home - seeing his face of disbelief and incredulity at the irresponsibility of his wife and the mother of his children - and being won over by the great fun we'd had in solving our little 'problem'.

Needless to say, if I can't feel my keys in my pocket since that moment, I start to break out in a cold sweat. You see, we have made sure that the door to Romy's balcony is now firmly locked!


16 comments:

  1. A horrible feeling, I know it well. The last house we were in just locked automatically and it took me some months before I remembered every time. The biggest problem was, I would walk out with the rubbish, leaving the door ajar, when only two steps later the wind had slammed it close. I seldom had the mobile with me when it happened either! Well done Romy. Diane

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    1. Who would design doors that close and lock so easily??? Not a middle-aged woman with the memory span of a fly, that's for sure! I know I'm not the only one at least! Thanks, Axxx

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  2. I realised, from an earlier fb reference that there had been an adventure with some keys...but this telling of the story is brilliant. I'm assuming that Darwin turned off any light under the bolognaise, and calmly settled down to await Ruy's grand entrance. Of course, if he'd had his wings with him, it would have been easier.
    So glad it worked out ok, they'll all remember it...not as the day things went wrong when dad was away, but the day that mum organised an adventure. Jxxx

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    1. You got it in one, Janice! It does often seem to be that things go wrong when dad's away - the electricity went off inexplicably last time (turned out it wasn't just us but the whole street - just happened that all the neighbours were out so I couldn't check!) but at least we could put positive spin on this one. I am very scatty but I was feeling so in control and organised this day....that'll teach me!
      Love the idea of Darwin taking control - we did try and encourage him to fetch the keys to us - we could open the window downstairs but of course, there are bars on all the windows.... - he failed to respond.
      Axxx

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  3. Oh, well done! All of you...including Darwin for not attacking 'burglars'...

    This place is like Fort Knox thanks to the insurance company's requirements so I keep a spare set of keys at Danilo's house in case a gust of wind locks me out.

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    1. Oh I am laughing so much at the idea of Darwin attacking burglars!! Not a chance, I'm afraid. He's oblivious to such concepts, bless. Didn't even bark one night when a cat got in and was frantically scrabbling at the shutters trying to get out.

      A spare set with a trusted friend sounds like a very good idea...

      Axxx

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  4. Things like this happen to the best of us. You've guessed, it's even happened to me! :o)

    My mantra, as I frequently tell anyone who will listen, is that it's not what happens, it's how we deal with it. We 'hide' a key but better not tell the insurance company...

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    1. I so agree, Gaynor. My husband said as he left on Tuesday morning that his worst fear was that I'd lock myself out, so I partly blame him for willing it so. My 'sort of' mantra is it's not a problem, it's an opportunity....(don't always believe it but it sounds nice and positive in dire situations..)

      So glad I'm in such good company.
      Axxx

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  5. I have the opposite problem. Lock myself in and then can't find my keys to get out.

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    1. Oh dear, Annie. That's worse I think! Our doors both open from the inside without keys so at least I don't have that bit to worry about. Axxx

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  6. Hello Annie:
    What a wonderful feeling it is when one manages to triumph over adversity! And, it does go to show that we can all be as resourceful as we need to be when the occasion demands, so there is absolutely no need to worry about 'stuff happening' for it will bring its own rewards!!!!!In the end!!!!

    And, for your next trick?.....

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    1. Hello Jane and Lance,
      I did feel as though it was a triumph - you have summed up perfectly how I honestly felt afterwards! I wouldn't want to be tested on too regular a basis though. I'm planning a little post on some of my mother's mishaps - you will see that my ability to 'perform' is entirely genetic!
      Axxx

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  7. I think most people have locked themselves out at one time or another..I've lost count of the number of times I've done it. The worst time was when I lived in Goreme and Mr A was away. All the windows were firmly shut and they all had metal security bars on the outside of the windows, so I had to get a friend to knock chunks out of the wall to remove them, then force a window open, breaking the handle in the process. I spent days getting the window handle fixed, replacing the metal bars and making good the brickwork. And yes, I now panic if I can't feel keys in my pocket.

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    1. Hi Ayak, I did hope that it wasn't just me. I did once lose my car keys on the beach in France, which was quite traumatic but I haven't locked myself out of home before...and now I hope I've learned my lesson. But you never know! I don't want to have to break in and have all the hassle afterwards!
      Axxx

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  8. Been there, done that, got the same T-shirt, Annie. It's the most horrible feeling to know that you can;'t get into your own house. You and your offspring are obviously very resourceful and handled it very well. :-)

    We used to have a door which locked automatically and when the inevitable happened to us and we didn't have a stepladder available, we had to post DD through a half-open small window, as that she could let us in. Needless to say, after that we hid a key in the garden just in case and when we replaced that door recently, made sure the replacement needs a key to lock it as well as open it. :-)

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    1. Children are so useful, aren't they, Perpetua? I like the idea of posting them through small windows but mine won't fit through the bars that are on the ground floor ones here, which is a shame. I think we all rather enjoyed the experience because it ended well but I do so hope there won't be a next time - though, of course, we always make sure Mateo has his keys now.

      We don't have a garden or anywhere to hide a key, so I shall just have to be very, very careful. Axxx

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