Oh, oh…A household emergency that threw us for a loop…

Late yesterday afternoon, I was getting ready for us to head out for Quiz Night at the Giraffe Pub & Grill when something completely unexpected happened. I had gone into the bathroom to wash my hands, turned on the tap as I’ve done countless times before, and within seconds, there was what I can only describe as a water explosion coming from under the sink. Scalding hot water and steam burst out with such force that it startled me to my core.

Fortunately, I wasn’t burned, which in itself feels like a small miracle. But the hot water soaked through my jeans almost instantly, drenching my shoes. Thankfully, I had been wearing those barefoot-style water shoes, so at least my shoes were spared from any real harm. Still, the shock of it all left me momentarily frozen before instinct took over.

I ran outside as quickly as I could to find Tom, calling out for him to come help. The water was blasting out like a fire hose, and within seconds, it was covering the bathroom floor. By the time Tom reached the doorway, it had already begun spilling into the bedroom. We both knew we had to act fast. We started grabbing anything on the floor that could be damaged, especially cords, chargers, and our digital equipment, lifting them to higher surfaces as the water kept pouring in.

Tom tried to locate a way to turn off the water, but nothing was obvious. In the meantime, I called Louise. She almost always answers immediately, which made it all the more concerning when she didn’t pick up. Later, we learned her phone had died after a long, busy day at the Marloth Park Info Center, where she and Danie had been dealing with a steady stream of holiday visitors.

With no time to waste, Tom jumped into the rental car and drove over to find them in person. It was only a short distance, but those minutes felt long as I watched the water continue its relentless spread. By the time Tom returned with Danie, the water had covered the entire bedroom floor and was already creeping into the dining room.

Danie rushed inside without hesitation, quickly assessed the situation, and knew how to shut off the water. A few minutes later, it stopped running. Not long after, Louise arrived, arms full of towels, ready to help. The two of them worked tirelessly for about forty five minutes, using towel after towel to soak up as much water as possible. Without a wet vacuum, it was all done by hand, one load at a time. It was exhausting just to watch, and yet they carried on without complaint, in their usual style.

After returning from Quiz Night around 9:00 pm, we gathered what we needed and made our way upstairs to the guest room. I was not thrilled about navigating the steep, open staircase, especially after such a stressful ordeal, but with Tom right there beside me, I managed just fine. In the end, we settled in and slept surprisingly well in the comfortable bed.

We were both up early this morning, knowing Danie and Vusi would be back to finish sorting everything out. True to their word, they arrived and worked through what still needed attention, restoring order to the house. By tonight, we’ll be back in our usual bedroom on the main floor, which feels like a welcome return to normal.

Despite all this, we still made it to Quiz Night and enjoyed ourselves, as always. We came in fourth place again, which seems to be our regular standing, and shared a few laughs that helped take the edge off the day.

This morning, after everything was back in order, we headed out to The Wild Butchery for meat and biltong, stopped at Daisy’s Den to order four more Saturdays of lucerne along with three additional bags of pellets, and then made a quick visit to SaveMor Market for a few odds and ends.

Tonight and tomorrow evening,  we are staying in. After the unexpected chaos of yesterday, the idea of quiet evenings, good meals, and time spent on the veranda with our wildlife visitors feels exactly right. All is good, here in the bush.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, July 15, 2016: