LAUNDRY CRICKET

I was on my hands and knees on top of my dryer when my husband Steven walked by the laundry room.

He stopped in the doorway. “What are you doing?”

I was trying to peek behind the dryer. “You can't hear that?” I had to duck under the shelf trying to see past the dryer vent.

Steven listened for a moment. “You mean the cricket?”

“Yes!” I crawled over to the washer. “It's driving me nuts!” I peeked behind the washer. “Nothing!” I sat back on my heels listening for his call. “It's like trying to find out which smoke alarm is chirping 'low battery'.

The cricket called again. I scanned the room. “Now it sounds like it's behind the folding table!” I climbed off the washer and headed for the table. Getting on my hands and knees I pushed the laundry baskets out of the way. “Nothing!” I cried as I sat back on my heels waiting for the next call.

“So what do you plan to do if you find him?”

“I'll scoop him up and put him outside.”

“Don't you think he'll just find his was in again?” Steven was leaned against the door jam.

I shook my head and sighed. “You're probably right. This is a pretty smart one finding his way to the laundry room.” I looked up at Steven. “You know they eat material?”

Steven looked around the room at the baskets of laundry needing to be done. “Well he certainly came to the right place.”

I looked around the room. “Hey! It's been a crazy, busy week!”

Steven shook his head. “I'm not judging. I know how busy you've been.” He looked around again. “I'm just saying he's a smart one.”

The cricket chirped again. My head shot up and I scanned the room. “Where did it sound like it was coming from this time?”

Steven looked around the room. “I swear I think it was coming from that basket.” he was pointing to a basket of already sorted jeans and dark colored clothes.

“Oh, no ones going to be eating my clothes today!” I grabbed the basket and began loading the clothes into the washer. I made sure to carefully shake each item of clothing before placing it in the washer in case the cricket was clinging to it. Once the basket was empty and the washer was full I turned it on. “Well, it wasn't in there.” I dropped the laundry detergent in and closed the lid.

Leaning back against the machine I scanned the room again. “Where could he be?”

We heard the chirp again. I froze. “Did you hear where it came from?”

Steven pointed to the dryer. “Maybe he's in there?”
I was confused. “You really think he got in the dryer?” I opened the dryer door where a load of towels were waiting to be folded.

“Maybe you should take the towels out just to make sure he's not in there.”

I stopped and turned around. “Wait a minute.” I began to shake my head. “You didn't think he was in the laundry basket! You just wanted me to start a load of wash!”

Steven shrugged his shoulders. “I'm all out of jeans.”

The cricket chirped again.

He shrugged his shoulders again. “I'm still going to say the dryer because I'm pretty sure were out of towels, too.”