Stranger Danger (Athens, Greece)

Tom:

After our lovely day in Athens, we decide to enjoy a relaxing night full of wine and spaghetti – it is the first time we have cooked since leaving the states, and I’m relishing the flavors that remind me of home.

Choosing to stay on theme, we find a collection of movies our host has left us. After some deliberation, we decide on American Gangster. How awesome is that? We switch it on and settle in for the night.

A little insight into our relationship: Meg falls asleep whenever we start a movie. To clarify, Meg falls asleep IMMEDIATELY whenever we start a movie. I, on the other hand, get invested in the story and fight off sleep to keep watching. So, without disappointment, that exact scenario plays out.

Meg is now fast asleep, and I’m just kickin’ it, watching Denzel murder a ton of people and sell drugs (in the movie). Drowsiness is beginning to overtake me, and I’m starting to consider shutting off the laptop. Then, I start to see movement near to computer. I’m thinking to myself, “wow, this cinematography is really good because I’m seeing things off of the screen. Wait, there really is something moving by the screen. Oh shit, I’m pretty sure that’s a mouse!”

So, as quietly and calmly as I can, I wake Meg up to alert her of the intruder. She is confused at the onset, and perhaps even a little disgruntled at being woken from her slumber. Then, when she realizes who/what the intruder is: Terror.

Within seconds, everything is cleared off of the floor, and we are standing on the bed searching for the critter. We soon discover that he/she is behind our bed, obviously hiding for fear of my wife. I quickly run to get a bowl, and we devise a plan.

Meg moves the bed to the left, funneling the little guy straight into my waiting arms (or bowl). I stare into the eyes of my prey, and with good reason, he/she scuttles the other way, running around the bed, underneath the luggage, and into the living room, out of sight. Damn it.

We begin scouring the apartment, but after a few minutes we give up – our solution is one that makes me admire our relationship: We stuff a towel under the door, stack some luggage on top of it, and fall asleep.

These are the types of experiences that make me appreciate my wife – although she is clearly frightened, she understands the flippancy of the plight. She is always able to identify a situation holistically – she can see the bigger picture, and pick out the humor. Telling this story makes me realize how much I love her.