Slippery Slope

What else would you expect to happen with a bunch of family members with digestive issues, living under one roof, eating unfamiliar foods, in a house with precarious plumbing? Fireworks, right? I was in my room having trouble sleeping when I heard the first toilet lid slam.

I cursed Dad’s bargain hunting. Day-old sushi is never a “great deal”. I heard the second lavatory door shut and latch just as my own gut started to rumble.

The churning arrived with sharp cramps & my knees buckled beneath me. "Sweet mother," I breathed, "this is going to be the big one." I clenched my fists, gritted my teeth, & started the sweaty crawl up the stairs to the master bedroom half-bath, guts knotting, bloating, writhing.

I didn’t make it. The endorphins pumping through my body and wave of relief almost kept the shame at bay - almost. I curled into a ball on the landing and wept.

I wept, and wept, and wept, and cried a river. What a poor sight to behold. I pity the man that had to see me like this. No one had to see me like this. But I couldn’t help it. I was only human. I had my flaws.

I went down and around the spiral which just never seemed to end, with no one here to help me, no, not even a single friend. And here I lay on the ground, tears flowing like a fountain, oh how I wish I could end it all by jumping off a mountain.