Alarm Bells a Ringing

As any traveler will tell you, it takes the body a few days to adjust to changes in time zones. So of course it was likely that I would have weird sleeping patterns the first few days in South Africa. My first morning here, I awake at about 4:00 am. Not a problem I told myself. I used the bathroom, tried going back to sleep, but eventually gave up and got up to stay. Not a problem I told myself, I will just read this great book. About an hour later, and everyone is still sleeping, I decided that I would make myself a cup of tea. I slipped quietly out to the kitchen, and searched for the light switch. My hands caressed the side of the kitchen wall. No switch. Hmm. Looked around in the pitch black thinking that there must be switch somewhere. Felt near the window. Nothing. Hmmm. Went back to the wall near the door, oh right, there door knobs and light switches are higher up the wall than ours. Nose closer to the wall, peering intently at the wall in the dark, I see the switch. I rub my hand over it, but no light comes on. That's weird. My fingers search out the shape of the switch. It doesn't have a knob, but seems to have a softer centre where you push. That discovered, I pushed the centre and waited no light. Hmmmm. Maybe I just have to push a little harder. This time I felt for the centre and gave a good push! Instantly, there was the kind of siren explosion that you only hear in the movies. Just about as loud as a school fire alarm, but more the pattern of a car alarm. The noise and vibration are screaming loudly throughtout the whole house. I desperately push the button again, thinking that I will be able to stop the peel of the sound waves! Nope, they pulse on, screaming at everyone to wake up, wake up, wake up! Loud enough to wake the neighbours, and a direct line to the security system. I walk into the hallway, and as I brush along the wall, I definitely feel a light switch, I turn it on, just as Tiara walks out of the bedroom and asks, "What are you doing?" "Trying to make a cup of tea", is my response. Tiara heading off to stop the alarm, and returned this time with Liv in her arms to say again, "What were you doing?" Just then the phone rings and Tiara has to explain to the security company that Her mother was visiting and accidentally triggered the alarm. Otherwise they would have sent an armed guard out to check. Apparently, it is just a small car, but both guards come with big guns. Liv bless her heart, is not crying, but has two big tears rolling down her cheeks. Awww! I apologize, explain about the button, and learn that it is what we would call a panic button. The kitchen light interestingly enough is actually in the hallway, across the hall from the kitchen, not even on the outside wall of the kitchen.
Both Tiara and Loren are ready to go back to sleep, but obviously, Liv is wide awake. The best solution is that she stay up with me and they go back to bed. So my first morning, I had Liv all to myself, we played, she giggled, we laughed. Life is good even without your tea!