House unleashes chaos just before guests arrive for visit

There is nothing like having the oven catch on fire, the toilet back up or the kitchen ceiling develop a draining bulge just before your guests arrive. Believe me it is not a coincidence. I call it a deliberate act of house terrorism.

Houses see the imminent arrival of overnight guests as a prime opportunity to practice a bit of wreaking havoc. Taking advantage of their occupants is something houses do extremely well, and they are without pity.

A good friend was recently a victim. She worked hard all day getting her house ready for their weekend guests. As she plugged in a new lamp on the table beside the guest bed, the outlet spat fire, leaving a black streak on the wall and filling the air with the stench of burned wiring.

That was only the beginning. When she tried to open the windows to let in some fresh air, the windows wouldn’t budge. Rushing to the kitchen for an air freshener, she discovered a rapidly filling lake in the middle of the kitchen floor.

Have you ever tried to get a plumber to come the same day you called him? Our friends couldn’t either. Only the fast action by the husband prevented the kitchen floor lake from spreading into the dining room. He managed to turn off the water at the meter.

In all that excitement, my friend forgot all about the roast she was cooking until smoke began billowing out of the oven. Trying to be helpful, her husband turned on the attic fan, which effectively drew the smoke throughout the entire house.

Our poor friend faced greeting her guests in a smoke-filled house with no water available (except on the kitchen floor), a guest room that reeked and a dinner of charred roast.

Do you really believe all that horror was a coincidence? Of course not. Our friends were being victimized by their house. That abominable abode had chosen that time to make known her need for some major wiring and some plumbing work.

With super-effort our friends managed to air out, mop up, patch a pipe and throw together a casserole before their guests arrived. They had a lovely visit, and their house behaved herself all weekend. She knew appointments had been made with both a plumber and an electrician. Plus, she had the added bonus of happily anticipating a brand-new kitchen floor.

Laura Moore can be emailed at lehmoore1@gmail.com.