An old memory rose to the surface this morning. When I was a little boy my father was a minister. We were often invited to people’s homes for social visits or supper. I would inevitably sneak off to find their vacuum cleaner.
One time when we were visiting, I found an old Kirby in a spare bedroom closet. I was of course intrigued, and rolled it out. I was messing around with the switches and levers. I saw the large lever on the side of the machine. “Hmmmm…I wonder what this is for.”
It was the release lever for the trap door under the bag! I managed to pull it open but it was tight and difficult to turn back into locked position. I fumbled around trying to re-fasten it but then Mama started calling me. I left the latch askew and rolled the Kirby back into the closet.
Some days afterward, the lady was at our house chatting with Mama. She saw Mama’s bedraggled old Electrolux sitting in the living room and said, “Oh, you have an Electrolux. The other day when I was doing my cleaning, I plugged the vacuum in and it started up all by itself! The bottom flew open and dust spewed all over my living room! It took me all afternoon long to clean up the mess. Well, I told my husband right then and there we were getting a new vacuum cleaner. That Kirby was very old; we got it when we were married. He went to the phone and called the Electrolux man, who came over with a new machine. I really love it!”
Well…….if looks could have killed. Mama threw me an evil eye that would have frightened the devil himself. I didn’t say a word, but I know my trembling lower lip gave away my guilt. Later, after the lady had left, I paid for my sins at the end of Mama’s fly swatter…
One time when we were visiting, I found an old Kirby in a spare bedroom closet. I was of course intrigued, and rolled it out. I was messing around with the switches and levers. I saw the large lever on the side of the machine. “Hmmmm…I wonder what this is for.”
It was the release lever for the trap door under the bag! I managed to pull it open but it was tight and difficult to turn back into locked position. I fumbled around trying to re-fasten it but then Mama started calling me. I left the latch askew and rolled the Kirby back into the closet.
Some days afterward, the lady was at our house chatting with Mama. She saw Mama’s bedraggled old Electrolux sitting in the living room and said, “Oh, you have an Electrolux. The other day when I was doing my cleaning, I plugged the vacuum in and it started up all by itself! The bottom flew open and dust spewed all over my living room! It took me all afternoon long to clean up the mess. Well, I told my husband right then and there we were getting a new vacuum cleaner. That Kirby was very old; we got it when we were married. He went to the phone and called the Electrolux man, who came over with a new machine. I really love it!”
Well…….if looks could have killed. Mama threw me an evil eye that would have frightened the devil himself. I didn’t say a word, but I know my trembling lower lip gave away my guilt. Later, after the lady had left, I paid for my sins at the end of Mama’s fly swatter…
