Reflections regarding Wednesday August 7, 2024 in Kingston Upon Thames, England
Chaim went to work first thing in the morning for his very first workday while traveling. I woke up soon after and went to use the toilet. All was fine until I tried flushing. Mother *&@#$! Instead of flushing, the toilet backed up. It was beyond gross. Thankfully, it did not overflow. I quickly put the lid down, washed my hands, exited the bathroom, and texted our Airbnb host, Mr. A. Silence. What was I going to do with four boys who have the smallest bladders on earth? After a deep breath, I walked the boys to the mechanic’s boat and asked if we could use their toilet. The young woman inside was very kind and didn’t hesitate to help. That’s one beautiful thing about sailors and boat people. They are always ready to lend a hand to a fellow mariner, even if that mariner was never going to set sail. After our toilet excursion, we returned to the houseboat and began our schedule of the day: Journal, laundry, and some well-earned screentime (“with real WiFi.”)
All of our dirty laundry was loaded into one of our Eagle Creek carry-ons and a small duffle bag we packed just for this purpose. I forgot about the duffle bag so the boys and I set off on a thirty-minute walk with just the one carry-on in search of the only highly reviewed laundromat situated next to a café with “real” WiFi. Along our way we passed a neat looking park that the boys wanted to visit when our chores and screentime were done. When we arrived at the laundromat, a helpful attendant informed me that it only takes coins and that we would need to walk to the Co-op down the road and around the corner to get change. He was kind enough to start our laundry load with his own coins so that we wouldn’t waste time. Off we went to get some coins. We soon returned with plenty of change and several drinks in hand. I paid the attendant, and we walked next door where I bought tea and pastry so the boys could use the excellent WiFi and I could write.
When it was time to fold our laundry, we packed up our tech and entered the laundromat. The boys enjoyed their last few minutes of screentime while I took care of business. Ready to go, we headed straight to the park we had past a few hours earlier. The park had so many fun play features for all ages. The boys were surprised to find a zip line, spinning see-saw, outdoor ping pong table (BYOE), snake swing, and so much more. They had a blast, then everyone had to pee. There was no bathroom available, but thankfully they are boys and there was a spot with good tree coverage. Amichai the CIT stepped up (begrudgingly) and took each boy to a corner of the field.
Around this time, Mr. A finally messaged me. Apparently, he was very busy at the moment taking care of tasks for his sister’s wedding. How could I be upset? The man’s sister was getting married. Of course, he’s busy. He put me in touch with his mechanic. Then, he suggested we buy a bucket because his mechanic was also busy with family engagements that night and could not come help us until the next morning. My empathy was gone. How is it possible that an Airbnb host could allow guests to live in their space without a functional toilet? When I asked him what we should do if we needed a toilet he responded, “Legally we are allowed to wee or throw urine/poo overboard in an emergency, but I completely understand it’s not ideal and apologise…There is a pub very close which I thought would be open till late which may help (past vegetarian restaurant).”
Did I read that correctly? Did he just tell me to let my children pee in the Thames and suggest we buy a bucket? I was not mentally prepared for this. We weren’t even in a third world country, yet. While I was becoming more irritated, the boys did not seem to think much of the situation. We grabbed a bus home and used the toilets at the mechanic’s boat, then we met up with Chaim for dinner. We returned to the vegetarian restaurant and told them our situation. The owner was incredibly kind and made sure his staff knew that we would be coming in just to use the toilet until ours was fixed. Perhaps because they had had a lot to drink during the day or because they knew there was no toilet available over night, the boys peed like five times each over a two-hour period.
That night, I slept next to Eitan and Shai in the same bed as before. However, I was stuck up against the side right where the toilet’s tank was kept behind the bed. I could not breathe and kept waking up only to remember I could not breathe. I was itchy from something on the bed that I assumed was dirt. I was uncomfortable. I did not sleep.
