venta

Familiar experiences without names number 8: finding an oddly shaped piece of plastic somewhere in the house. Knowing that it is a vital piece of something. Being fully aware that you will never work out what that something is until you have thrown away or lost the vital piece of plastic.

Yesterday, I found a red plastic oblong lying on the kitchen worktop. It was (of course) something which I was completely unable to place, but which seemed vaguely familiar. It was clearly a thing of purpose, I just had no idea what that purpose might be.

It looked, in fact, like something's lid. The sort of lid with flanges that fits into a cardboard drum. It was, however, very thin for its length. Surely nothing comes in drums that shape ?

A quick mental check of cardboard oblong-ish boxes whose existence I'm aware of in our kitchen. Nesquik ? Nope, they're yellow. Cornflour ? No, much too big. Er... that's about it.

I left it where it was on the worktop. Every time I walked past it niggled gently. I've seen it somewhere before. I should know where it goes and what it is.

I just worked it out: the kitchen fire-blanket fell on me. It is, in fact, the bottom of the plastic box which houses the fire-blanket, the bit that's supposed to fly out of the way when you pull on the red release-straps.

I have shoved it back in position, and the world is a better place. Until I find the next inexplicable plastic thing.