Sunday 6 July 2008

Lost in the dark - wake woke woken


Absolutely nothing to do with the subject



Saturday night: could have been around three in the morning; I was suddenly waking up. Ok, let's go to the toilet, the time of the chamber pot is over for more than sixty years.

So I started fishing for my slippers in the dark. They did not seem to be really where they should be - propped against the wall - but soon enough I had them on my feet and stood up.

Turning to the right made me collide with something like a lamp shade. Looking around in my pitch dark surroundings I saw some light filter through the window shutters.

Going to the window seemed the reasonable thing to do. I am an old hand going to the toilet at night without any light and the window has always been an important landmark. Even in a moonless night it is never totally dark outsite.

Touching the window frame I was a bit astonished of its feel. Seemed to be somehow metallic cold instead of wood but anyway, from here on I know where to go. From the window to the right and this I did.

Two steps further on I had another collision with something, don't know what.

So I went back to the window - what else should I do - and took the other direction. On my left I felt the edge of the bed. That was reassuring so I just carried on. Straight ahead, right for the door of this room.

I never managed to make it to that door. Instead I banged into something I could not define. Now I was really in panic. WHERE AM I AND WHAT IS GOING ON HERE??



This is the room where it happened - made the pic five minutes before leaving


My blundering around was far from noiseless and finally my wife woke up and asked "what are you doing?". "I don't know where I am". I imagine she would switch the light on and I "saw" another difficulty coming up. There is no switch on her side of the bed, only on mine. So we'll soon be groping together through this bewitched room.

Hardly had I finished this thought the light came on: I was not at home at all but in my in-law's guest-room! Felt a bit foolish. "From now on I can manage", I told her "you can switch off the light". Well, well. Five stressful minutes are laying behind me.

Back in my bed I could not find sleep. Then I hit on the idea to relate this night stunt in my blog and started composing my text right away. "Suddenly I wake up at night". Then the word wake seemed strange, should it be "woke" instead? Wake, woke, waken, or better wake, woke, waked, or maybe wake, woke woken? These grammatical exercises had an immediate effect. I was fast asleep in no time.

Good night to everybody and don't forget to remember where you are. Could come handy.