This One Hurt

Things came almost to a standstill on the Nazarene Campus over summer. Due to seminars and a few adult classes and several conferences, there were still machines to check in the common buildings. I also worked accounts for our people on vacation, so I still worked plenty of hours. Filling in at strange accounts is a bit stressful. The rules were that all orders and paperwork had to be completed before we went on vacation, so I only had to fill and keep things going when I covered an account for someone else. Still it was a challenge finding my way around a few accounts I'd never been in before. I rather enjoyed the change of pace, though I wouldn't have wanted to do it all the time. I managed the vacations so well that the vending company wanted me to be a "floater." Working where ever I was needed. That meant over several counties in our district. I turned it down. With my headaches I worried about unknown situations I might find myself in as a floater. There had been several more minor snow and ice related falls on campus and the idea of a lot of unknown places through the winter didn't sound promising to me. I preferred my own account where I had some idea of what to expect.

I sure didn't expect what happened that third autumn. Leaves were falling and it had rained. I had two cases of pop and a small box with a few bags of chips and some candy bars to take to the machines in the Administration basement. The admisistration offices are in a large, beautiful old three story house on the property that the college was built on. The decor has been kept true to the period of the house. Which didn't include vending machines. I entered through a back door leading through a small enclosed porch that led to the kitchen. The steps to the basement are right inside the door, on the left. Three or four steps lead to a landing, then turn right and on down to my machines at the bottom of the steps. It's an enclosed concrete and stone cave to the bottom. It looked to me like the enclosed porch might have been added later to replace one of those outside entrances to the basement.

I left one case of pop in my car trunk and took the other case with the small box balanced on top. The flagstone path to the door was wet and covered with slippery leaves. I proceeded cautiously and climbed the steps to the back door without incident. Balancing my load on the iron rail, I got the door open and made it inside. I couldn't see well around my load and I was leaning on the door frame while feeling for the top step with my foot. The same procedure I'd used many times for two years. It was sudden. My foot slid off the step and I went down. I didn't stop at the landing. The pop was bouncing off the stone and concrete steps and walls and I was aware of them exploding around me as we tumbled all the way to the bottom. When all the movement stoped, I was twisted up with my jacket pinning my arms so I couldn't move. Not that I really wanted to move. I was seeing bright lights full of rainbow colors. People started arriving before I had even gathered my wits. Later they told me they heard the racket all the way to the third floor. I heard someone yell to call an ambulance and I yelled "No" with enough force to forstall them. Two ladies were poking and prodding for injuries. Another handed me my glasses. That helped. Vision settled down and I only felt bruised. I was able to get to my feet and convince them I didn't need the ambulance. I did ask them to call my supervisor. Someone started to pick up scattered, busted pop cans. The two who had poked at me refused to leave before my supervisor showed up. I said something about the mess, but they told me someone else would clean it up. They only found 23 cans. I never did find out where the last one ended up. (Is it possible anyone could have actually pocketed it considering the circumstances?) I believe all the candy and chips were accounted for. Cathy arrived about 20 minutes later. They found some wet leaves at the top of the steps and we decided they had been stuck to the bottom of my shoes and been responsible for my fall. Sisal mats were found and placed on both sides of that outside door and someone was assigned to keep the flagstone path clear of leaves. No, I didn't sue, it never even occured to me. Cathy finished my job that day and sent me home. I was back to work the next day. But, I was a black and blue and very stiff and sore vending attendant. And, I told Cathy I was interested in changing accounts when another became available. I wanted something inside one building. Even if it meant less hours. I'd had enough of carrying pop through the outside elements.