A (Muted) Triumphant Moment For Me

I started the afternoon proud. Why? I think I successfully replaced the right turn signal bulb in my car! I looked it up in the Internet, I was able to get to it with a minimal amount of tools (even though I had to borrow a ratchet from the guys working on the deck because I don't think My Father had the right size, even though he has a pail-full of bolt sizes), it was fairly easy (especially changing the bulb), and I think I put it altogether. And by myself, Mommy! If it doesn't fall apart while driving, or if the rain doesn't seep into places it didn't before I started fucking with it, I think I did it the right way!

I was on a high when my parents came home. Instead of feeling good, however, Mother brought me down. I kept the garage door leading inside open because I needed to shuttle between my car and where the tools were, and later I wanted to take a break and go upstairs to watch the Germany-Australia. After coming up from putting her stuff down, she saw the door ajar, went upstairs, and yelled at me. According to her, mice go through there all the time. They found two last night.

Whatever, I thought. I didn't want her to yell at me, especially after I felt so productive and like a man. Couldn't she understand? I huffed out a, "OK, I'll keep the door shut from now on," but I didn't mean it, and I said it in a tone that probably told her I wouldn't mean it. But then, I remembered.

Father told me something about rats and the garage a couple days ago. I think he told me to keep that door shut, the door I kept ajar, the one connecting the garage to the inside of the house. At the time, however, I dismissed him because I thought he was talking about a different door, namely the one that leads from the garage to the backyard. That one is next to the refrigerator, bolted shut, and has our snowplow shoved up against it. And when Father told me this I thought, "But we don't use that door, what are you talking about?" So I ignored him.

Whoops.

I am humbled that Mother didn't hold it against me; she just talked to me at dinner like nothing happened. And now I feel bad for passive-aggressively undercutting her.

Of course, later in the night Father was nagging at me for not eating the bananas on the table. What the fuck do you want? Can't you tell I was a man for changing my right turn signal bulb today?