Just outside Bami’s hallway bathroom was a clothes’ chute that led down to the scariest basement a kid had ever hoped to escape from. The chute’s door had a metallic snap that stuck when opened and closed, and when I placed my clothes inside it I prayed they wouldn’t jam because I was terrified to stick my hand down its mouth.

To the right of the chute’s opening was the bathroom. Behind the door stood a plainly constructed linen closet with two square doors atop each other. The bottom was for cleaning supplies and the top for towels and sheets. It was a good spot for Hide and Seek except for the moth ball vapors that rose from the bottom. The color of the bathroom was dingy orange and mixed well with the tall glitter-topped counter. There was metal framing that encased the counter and it had a dull shine in stark contrast with the shiny mirror above the sink. I could barely get my toothbrush wet when Bami turned the water on for me. And the Telly Tubby pajamas that I wore didn’t help. I climbed on the toilet for a better angle balancing my stomach on the edge of the counter while trying to keep my sleeves dry rinsing my toothbrush, but the stocking pajamas made my toes slide off the toilet. 
            Sliding toes on toilets and sliding bottoms in tubs. The first sure grip idea must have come from slipping in a bathroom like the one in my grandparent’s home. The bathtub was like a canoe filled with water. When water first lubricated the bottom of the tub I would jump from the backside and slide clear to the front like a bobsledder at the start of a race. The knobs on the tub were old heavy metal. Back then all metal must’ve been heavy. A quarter turn of hot water made a loud screech and steamy water gushed from the spigot. Because the water was scolding, I needed adult supervision at the start of every bath.
            The rug by the tub was shaggy but not long enough that my toes got tangled in it. There was a window just above the toilet that had a small crank which opened the window laterally to a gnarled metal screen. Looking out from it revealed Ohio’s spectacular nights. Lighting Bugs flashed their Morse code for me to come capture them, but it was bedtime. And I was the one trapped in a Mason jar.