Payback Is A Bitch

I was in elementary school and Jeff was in junior high.

The power had gone out in California that night. I don’t remember if it was a storm or wind or what. I don’t know how long it was out. And truth be told, none of that matters at all.

What matters is Jeff was taking a bath by candlelight.

Let’s recap, shall we? The power was out, Jeff felt dirty and wanted to take a bath and what better way for a junior high school boy to feel pretty? Bath by candlelight.

During the course of this pampering event, the power comes back on.

Jeff was finishing up with his whimsical delight and I guess just didn’t want the moment to end. Instead of blowing out the candle, he set it on the counter right underneath the handle that holds the towel to dry your hands after a quick wash before dinner. And what happens when flame meets towel?

Fire.

The rest of the family is in the living room and we hear this coming from down the hall:

“Oh no!”

“Pwh, phw, phw”

My mom jumps up and runs to the bathroom to find Jeff trying to blow on a towel that is on fire. The flame has jumped from the towel to the wallpaper. She pulls the towel into the sink and drowns it with water to put that part of the fire out. I still have no idea how she got the wallpaper fire put out because I got yelled at for continuing to walk up and down the hall trying to find out what was going on. But rest assured, she handled that too!

And telling this story, my friends, is payback for all of the times I had to sit on the sunny side of the car during long ass trips.