Day 11: Bang Bang

I’m sitting in my house trying to focus on writing something on my computer. The roof is covered with workers who are shouting as they use ropes and pulleys. Bang, bang BANG BANG BANG! The sound inside is mind-shatteringly loud and consistent as they pound away with relentless force. It makes my heart beat faster as if it’s trying to match the incessant tempo.

I think about the reason why they’re replacing the roof. It’s because of the leak that has reared its ugly head every time we get any significant amount of rain. It's been raining a lot lately. I think about the rotten wood that they’re removing and how damp and loose it must be. I hear a crashing sound as the worker presses his weight upon it. He goes through the roof, into the attic and comes careening down through the drywall in the ceiling. Bang, bang, BANG, bang, BANG, BANG! Chunks of drywall, insulation, and nails cover the carpet.

The person operating the crane spills his coffee and as he’s reaching down to grab the empty cup, he accidentally puts his full weight on the lever. Bang, bang, BANG. The load of shingles that he’s carrying swing out of control and into the front window; like an explosion it sends glass and wood particles flying everywhere. Bang, bang, BANG.

One unfortunate roofer loses his footing and I hear him slide down the roof and then watch as his body flies past the window as he grasps desperately for the rope. Bang, bang, bang bang, BANG. Another worker rushing to help him trips on a loose shingle and falls crashing on the deck and into the ceramic pots containing herbs. Bang, BANG, BANG!

A giant dump truck driving in the circle with a full load doesn’t see my car parked to the side and smashes into it as he’s making a turn. The side is caved in completely and the glass is shattered and blown out. The horn continually blows from the crumpled metal mess that used to be my car. Bang, bang, BANG, BANG BANG BANG!  

My brain can be such a jerk to me sometimes. After coming home to find the roof being replaced (and the neighborhood looking like a war-zone), all of these scenarios and more kept playing through my head over and over as I sat trying to write.