Story Time

The Lock Out

I have always hated swimming.

It's probably just because I've never been good at it and I hate not being good at things, but I have always hated swimming.

Living in Florida, my family naturally has a pool in our backyard. My family's summertime pool parties were a nightmare for little me who wasn't allowed in the house by myself but would not get in that pool.

So one day, my mother and brothers were swimming. My dad was at work. I managed to get into the house by myself (I probably said I had to pee or something).

The old door to my backyard had this weird lock that was at the bottom of the door and you flipped it up to unlock it and pushed it down to lock it.

That lock was my entertainment for years.

Naturally, being the bored child trying to avoid getting in the pool, I began to play with the lock.

But something happened this time that had never happened before.

The lock went down, locking, and I couldn't get it to go back up.

Little four/five year old me flipped the fluff out. I was crying and banging on the glass trying to get my mom to save me.

But my mom couldn't get in the house BECAUSE I HAD LOCKED THE DOOR.

My family was locked out of the house, and I was trapped inside helplessly. We had no spare keys outside. I wasn't tall enough to reach the lock on the front door. My dad refused to come home to help.

My family was locked out of the house for three hours. Three fluffing hours.

How they didn't get sunburned is still a mystery to me.

After this little incident, I was no longer allowed near the door. I was no longer allowed in the house by myself.

And we got a new door with a new lock.

Still ticked off that I lost my toy.