Surprising Sound

So today I was on the roof winterizing the house. While I was draining the water from the swamp-cooler I heard a familiar, yet confusing sound coming from behind me. Familiar because it was something I hear pretty constantly any time I’m home… or out shopping… or anywhere except at work.Confusing because it was a sound I very specifically do not expect to hear when I’m on the roof.

“Daddy?” was the sound.

I had left Cordelia in the house with specific instructions to finish her sandwich and then come outside. She’s generally a very obedient child, and I had no concerns. In the mean-time Tammy had her lunch break and had come upstairs to feed herself, and they had both come out giving Tammy a chance to explain to Cor what exactly it was that daddy was doing on the roof.

At this point, however, they had both gone back inside. Or so I thought.

When I turned around to see why it was that Cordelia’s voice had carried so clearly from the ground I saw just exactly what you are all thinking: Cordelia was up the ladder. She was, fortunately, not on the roof, but her head was well above it.

At this point I panicked, briefly, in my head. Sharply I said, “Cordelia!” And then, not wanting to frighten her and possibly cause her to fall, I took a breath and said far more calmly than I felt, “You aren’t supposed to be up here.”

I walked toward the ladder, hoping to be able to see some way to help her get back down safely, but found myself at a loss. Hoping that Tammy was still on her lunch break and within earshot, I started calling for her. Loud, but – again – calmly.

The rest of the story is pretty boring. Tammy came out, scolded the child much the same way I had, climbed up the ladder a few steps and helped Cordy make her way back down. Children, these days.

Might be my own fault. Here’s a picture I took last summer (actually April '08). This was done with my encouragement.

If you look carefully you can see the shadow of a

not-to-excited-about-this-stunt mommy ready

to jump to the rescue, if daddy's daredevil

decides to fall.