Obey or Drink a Roach!

Lately I've been having a bunch of flashbacks from my childhood. This morning after eating scammbled eggs and pickles with my little girls I watched my little two year old down an 8 ounce cup of water I think of how she has the Bob Patterson 'water bug', just like I do. I call it that anyways. Those of us who have the water bug drink lots of water, I mean lots! We could be in the Guiness Boook of World Records, I am not kidding! I'd be the queen bee too, since I drink more then the rest of the Bob Patterson clan. Around 10 liters a day. Maybe that isn't lady like but my complexion is pimple free and I am never constipated! Sorry, for the TMI-- just sayin...

My Dad. (Bob Patterson)

   In Mexico where I grew up the tap water was very nasty, not for human consumption. We could not afford to buy bottled water so Dad would filter our own water at home. The filtered water was downstairs outside by the pila (little above ground water tank) and at night time it was pretty spooky for the wimpy teenager that I was to be getting a drink of water.
    I carried a gallon jug of water to bed with me, and most times I'd finish it before the sun would rise in the morning. I was too scared to go downstairs so I found an alternitive water supply. A forbidden one.
   I the dark of night I'd tip toe to my parents room and stand out side their bedroom door, id squish my ear to the door, if I could hear regular breathing I knew they were still asleep. I'd be very quiet as I'd waltz over to my Dad's side of the bed like a graceful ballerina (at least that is how I envisioned myself) and I would get Dads large insulated cup of ice water and gulp it down as fast as I could, swallowing ice chips and air pockets. All the time watching my Dad's eyes making sure they were still closed, I still remember the smell of his after shave. After downing the entire cup of ice water I would run back out of the room very un gracefull like, many times I'd hit the corner of the bed waking Dad up so I'd dive to the floor and wait till he would go back to sleep.
   In the mornings that he would wake up and reach over for his cup and find it empty he knew exactly who was the culprit. He would stomp over to my bedroom, which was a very loud stomp since he wore size 15 shoes! And he would rant and rave for a little and always end up with a 'Don't do it again!'
  But every time I'd finish my gallon of water before the sun came up I'd do it again. I was scared of the dark. Well, one early morning Daddy had had enough. I was downstairs when he discovered his empty water cup. He hurried down the stairs and by the sound of his approaching foot steps I knew exactly why he was in a hurry for. I tried to sneak to our guest room to hide, but he saw me.
"Andrea! Come here!" I did and he handed me his empty cup. "Now go wash this and fill it up right now!"
"Yes sir, I said sheepishly and headed to obey.
    I got to the pila and took the lid off of his cup and turned it upside down to wash it and two giant ugly roaches fell out! I'm pretty sure my face turned green. I had drunk the water that the roaches had been swimming in! The lid had a tiny little slit where the water came out, and where roaches went in....
I don't remember ever drinking his water again.

Now I am a grown woman with kids of my own. I look back at those precious memories of my Dad and just wish I could go back in time and OBEY! I miss my Dad's big water cup, the sound of his footsteps coming down the steps and the smell of his after shave, I guess I just miss my Dad.