This past Saturday, I did something pretty stupid and was lucky it didn’t turn out to be more serious. As soon as you get older you’ll noticed all the trees which surrounded our house (just beyond the fence), well, one of these tree had a huge branch that was hanging a little low.
A huge step ladder and one saw later, I was now positioned right below that annoying branch. The step ladder was an industrial sized, it was folded into 4 sections and can be configured into several shapes, with the height that was facing me the step ladder was configured into a very, very tall triangle (probably about 3 metres from ground to the apex).
All was set, and a few minutes later (tip toeing on the very top rung of the ladder) I was very happily hacking and sawing away at the branch, shifting my weight back and fore, the progress was quicker that I had anticipated and soon there was the familiar ‘cracking’ sound… then I realised that the huge branch was doomed to fall right on top of me, the ladder and the concrete floor 3 metres below.
It was just like a cartoon, ‘crack, crack, crack’… followed very quickly with a ‘oh ohhhhh’ as I glanced at the branch then at the ladder, then at the floor below. Then there was a blank period, I haven’t had a blank period since the ‘snake bite and black’ night out so many years ago.
Honestly, after the ‘oh ohhhhh’, the next thing I remembered, I was walking back to the house, right hand on my head trying to stop the blood from washing over my eyes. Back in the house, had a quick wash, then rushed out again to clean up the fallen branch and the equipment, and found the saw covered in blood (still not sure if it was the branch or the saw that gave me the cut on my head).
Deep purple bruises ran right down the inside of my left leg which is almost identical to the set that ran on the outside of my right leg, my right back and shoulder was (and still is) hurting like mad, not to mention the cut on the head that just wouldn’t stop seeping blood…
To cut a long story short, the nurse gave me an injection (for something which I am still not sure), and loads of medicines… Now 2 days later, things are getting better… the bruises will go away soon, the headaches will too soon stop, but the feeling of total stupidity will, I think remain with me for the foreseeable future, well until your mother stop telling me that I am no longer 26 (why she had chosen 26 I would never know).
Love you.
Dad