Flushing And Blushing

The cribbage game was in the full heat of battle…men against women…and I had to pee.

Not just a little, a lot. My husband and I were spending the night at my daughter and her significant other’s home, and trying to be ideal houseguests. We wanted to be invited back.

I excused myself and zipped into the bathroom just off the family room where we were playing cards. My daughter had explained they had been having some sort of mystery moisture in that bathroom, so the carpet had been discarded. No problem, I thought. At this stage of bladder burst, a ficus tree would have been fine.

After I relieved myself I flushed the toilet only to see the water rise, and rise, and flow over the top of the seat. Oh no! I hopped backwards to keep the water off my socks and stared in horror.

Fortunately the surge stopped quickly. I meekly walked back into the family room and told my daughter’s boyfriend about what had happened. “Really?” he said. “Let’s take a look.”

Returning to the scene of my crime he and I eyed the situation. I grabbed the plunger and gave the toilet bowl a few quick thrusts and the water level dropped to a normal level. “It looks fine now,” my kind-hearted, highly approved, daughter’s boyfriend said. “Flush it again.”

With trepidation, I turned the handle. Suddenly the Bellagio in Las Vegas had nothing on that toilet. Water surged and spilled everywhere. I frantically gave toilet CPR with plunger compressions that would rival a jackhammer. The water cascaded towards the door while Nick did a version of the Irish step-dance so popular on stage.

Long story short, about twenty towels later we had sort of dried the area. I was embarrassed, wet, and on the verge of needing to pee again. My daughter and her boytoy were nothing but gracious. I don’t know if we’ll be invited back anytime soon, but their kindness in the face of shame was the best part of my day.