Too much time on the computer for gifts made me push aside my evening reading. Then to get in a few chapters of an enticing book, I read later than normal. The time surprised me. Much later than I normally dropped into bed.
Red numbers clicked away. Instead of quickly falling asleep, I tossed and turned. Even when I get to bed late, my weary body wakes up early. I had to get to sleep.
At 1:30 am Westminster chimes echoed into the serenity of my sleep. like an organ in an empty cathedral. Startled awake, I tried to figure out what was going on. The chimes started, stopped, repeated part of it and started again.
The sounds seemed to be coming outside my bedroom door where the smoke alarm was located. One night it blared at me “Get out! Fire!” At least the chimes didn’t jar me quite as much.
After chiming loudly for five minutes, silence returned. I breathed a sign of relief. Then the commotion returned. My fuzzy mind realized it was the addition I had gotten for my doorbell so I could hear when someone rang it. The tiny ding was too soft for my aging ears.
For months, the chimes refused to work even though I changed the batteries. However, I kept it plugged in hoping it would magically work again. Not in the middle of the night though.
While the repeating chimes continued, I shuffled to the living room to unplug the offender. Quiet returned.
My heart continued to race because of the episode. My nose clogged so breathing was a little difficult. Suddenly, my nose began to run. My tired body just couldn’t get up in time to get a tissue. No one would know that I wiped my nose on my long sleeve. Our Founding Fathers had lace on their cuffs to disguise that they did the same thing.
Sometime while it was still dark, I fell asleep. By 5:30, I was fully awake but not ready to get up. After trying and trying to get back to sleep, I gave up. Perhaps I would take a nap if I needed to.
Only after a cup of tea and somewhat clear mind, did I wonder if someone rang my doorbell in the middle of the night. Maybe that started the bizarre chiming. While I tried to absorb that uneasy thought, my eyes caught sight of a strange color on my pajamas.
Stripes of dried blood swept across my gray sleeve. Instead of a runny nose, blood had been flowing. Why would I have had a bloody nose in the middle of the night?
Did someone ring my bell which started the chimes? Then they hurried inside, hit me in the nose and ran away when the chimes continued and woke me up. The chimes tried to alarm me that something was wrong. As I lay in bed trying to decide what to do, they made their escape.
Of course, that didn’t happen but I hope it gave you a little humor in the midst of a busy holiday season. I still don’t understand why the chimes started or my nose bled. I did take a short nap and the chimes didn’t start today until about 5:45 am. The device is permanently unplugged. Time for a new doorbell.
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