Scary

My computer is near a window to the west in what we've come to call  "The Middle Room."  This morning I saw something very scary from this window.

Hiromi had gone outside to tend to his daikon radishes, which are drying, in preparation for making Japanese pickles.  I watched idly as he lifted the door to the cave cellar and began descending the stairs.  I saw him reach for the light switch high on the wall above the bottom of the stairs but his head and shoulders were still visible from my side/back view.  While I watched, the wind caught the open door and slammed it down--on top of his head, it looked like.  I jumped up from the chair to do something.

Just about that quickly, I saw the door rising slowly, and Hiromi began to emerge.  "Are you OK?" I called through the closed window.  He assured me he was.  He had felt the door strike his head, but he was not hurt.  Relief.

Over lunch we talked about how differently the morning might have turned out.  If he had been a little nearer the top of the stairs, if he had not already been moving forward slightly, if the blow had pitched him face-forward onto the stairs . . . shudder.  If all those terrible things had materialized, I would not likely have known about it for a good while if I had not seen what happened.  I knew he had gone outside and I didn't expect him back inside for a while.  If I had gone to look for him eventually, I would have seen the cellar door closed and would not likely have thought to look inside the cellar.  It's a windy day and the wind and the cellar enclosure would certainly have muffled any calls for help.  Shudder again.

For many reasons, I'm glad things turned out well.  Thank you, Jesus.