I Actually Mean What I Say
Last night, we had a little excitement at the apartment complex where I now reside.
I had just changed my clothes for the night when I heard the fire alarm go off. I opened my door and saw people running past, a pair of firemen and hearing a babble of voices. One of the girls from the upper floor came down, yelling that we had to evacuate, the fire department was on its way.
I couldn't go out the way I was. I was in a summer nightgown and slippers. As I stood there,a girl from the other end appeared and urged me toward the elevators. She stumbled twice on her way, nearly knocking me down, and muttering, "God, am I drunk...God, am I drunk..."
We reached the elevator banks. The girl leaned on the up button. Nothing. As she did it again, a pair of firemen appeared and came over to us. The older of the two asked what our room numbers were. We supplied them. His partner said, "You can go back to your rooms. It was a grease fire on the second floor."
The other girl stumbled beside me as we returned to our rooms. Halfway there, she muttered something about "sitting down awhile." I had no idea what she meant.
I reached my door first. As I got the door open and removed the key prepatory to going in, the girl hollered, "Be a GOOD GIRL now!"
I have no clue as to what she meant. I just replied, "Do I have a choice?" and closed the door firmly.
I half-expected her to be asleep on my hall rug *(and she wasn't) when I went out in the morning to get my Sunday paper.
I had just changed my clothes for the night when I heard the fire alarm go off. I opened my door and saw people running past, a pair of firemen and hearing a babble of voices. One of the girls from the upper floor came down, yelling that we had to evacuate, the fire department was on its way.
I couldn't go out the way I was. I was in a summer nightgown and slippers. As I stood there,a girl from the other end appeared and urged me toward the elevators. She stumbled twice on her way, nearly knocking me down, and muttering, "God, am I drunk...God, am I drunk..."
We reached the elevator banks. The girl leaned on the up button. Nothing. As she did it again, a pair of firemen appeared and came over to us. The older of the two asked what our room numbers were. We supplied them. His partner said, "You can go back to your rooms. It was a grease fire on the second floor."
The other girl stumbled beside me as we returned to our rooms. Halfway there, she muttered something about "sitting down awhile." I had no idea what she meant.
I reached my door first. As I got the door open and removed the key prepatory to going in, the girl hollered, "Be a GOOD GIRL now!"
I have no clue as to what she meant. I just replied, "Do I have a choice?" and closed the door firmly.
I half-expected her to be asleep on my hall rug *(and she wasn't) when I went out in the morning to get my Sunday paper.
61-69, F
