Accident Prone

You know how while you are a kid, you’re very accident prone?

You know, you run and fall, then get scrapes all over your knees, you slip and you sprain your ankle. You’re asleep and you fall out of bed?

Yeah. Those things…everyone has had those.

The problem was I have a strange reaction to them.

I laugh.

One time we were in Pandi and Joann and I were vying for who would be seated in the front of the van. It was a prime spot. It was where one had access and control to the front seat air conditioner, your very own window, and a lot of leg space to boot. I had dibs on the way home and was happily sitting in the front. The problem was, was that we stopped at the Pandi Palengke before we went home.

We bought this, and we bought that, or rather, Mom and Mrs. Lacson bought this and that, and when they were almost done, I ran for the front seat before Joann could claim it. (Because technically… I had my “turn,” even if only for 10 minutes)

So there I was, running towards the parking area, and I had my sights on the van and wasn’t paying very much attention to where I was going. The problem was, I missed seeing a small pool of water on the floor. Naturally, I stepped on it and as I was still mid-run,

WHUMP!!

I fell on my butt.

I was so dazed and my butt hurt really bad…I landed right in the middle of the disgusting slimy water and started laughing my head off, I laughed so much that I laid down on the floor from hysterically giggling.

SPLAT!

Too late, I misjudged the size of the pool which turned out bigger than I thought. My hair and back were swimming in the dirty stinky palengke water. I was absolutely SOAKED. The other patrons of the palengke looked at me like I was an escapee of the loony bin.

I mean I looked the part, all dingy and wet and hysterically laughing. Spread eagled on the palangke floor. Jo Ann could not stop herself from laughing at me.

Mommy and Mrs. Lacson helped me up. Mom bought me a change of clothes from one of the stores and Joann magnanimously gave me the front seat to sit in for the ride home.

Actually, I think the real reason was that no one wanted to ride beside me anyway.

After all, I stunk all the way home.

Another time though, just a few years back, I came down from my bedroom all willy-nilly, fell down the stairs and sprained my ankle.

I felt bruised all over but the shooting pain up my ankle completely inhibited me from standing up.

It was almost evening and the room was dark as no one had decided to turn on the lights yet. I tried to move but couldn’t and I as usual, I had started laughing as soon as my butt connected with the floor. ( I don’t know why…must be a weird brain thing)

Anyway, as I lay on the floor trying to soothe my ankle, Manay barged in. She had heard me give a rather loud yelp of pain and decided to investigate what the hullabaloo was about.

She saw me maniacally laughing and asked frantically “ Anong nangyari…Ano?”

I half laughingly, half painfully told her “ Na-na-na ti-tisod ako.”

Manay, all a dither started running around like Chicken Little when she thought the sky was falling. Manay then started yelling “Tiso!! Tiso daw”and ran out of the room.

I was surprised she didn’t bother to help me up and just left me sitting on the floor in the dark.

I stayed there for a few more minutes when she finally barged back in and started throwing boxes and boxes of tissue at me.

“Manay?!” I bewilderingly asked.

And she said …

“Sabi mo tiso…”

O-k-a-y….

; )