Wound Up

Stacie shot out of the shower all in a froth!

"The water is ice cold!"

On an inspection, yes, ice cold water is spewing out of the tap labelled with a C.

"Stacie," say I. "Hot water comes out of the tap marked with an H."

"Well, where I come from, California, the hot tap is on the left. Are all the hot taps in South Africa on the right?"

As Stacie leaves, one further question?

"Will it be cold here today all day? I was told that in South Africa it is always hot."

Which reminds me of another incident.

"Is the water hot?", asks Tse.

"Like a chilli," I confirm.

Wrong word, I realise as it was confused with chilly.

This morning Daniel in a panic tells me that he has lost the winder for his watch. That tiny silver thingabob.

I think I left it in the garden," he wails, "Would you help me look for it?"

Luckily, I was distracted by someone else with more pressing concerns.

"I found it," Daniel shouts, "In the bedroom!"

When I go in to clean, I want to weep.

The furniture is upended. Both beds are overturned, the carpet and curtains all over and the linen is in the cupboards.

And, the shower panels are under a bed.

Now it is not only the watch that is wound up.