Since we're airing our dirty laundry...
There is one other thing I did.
In early winter of 1994, I stayed with my friend Shelly and her husband for about two weeks in their small, cramped two bedroom trailer. On top of that, our friends Ryan & Charlene were staying there, too.
Shelly and her husband Bill took one bedroom. Ryan & Char took the other. And I slept on the couch.
Adding to this was a big male golden retriever (I forget its name) and a skinny female brindle colored cat named Wicca. (after the Wiccan religion) Shelly was/is a Wiccan.
Needless to say, it was cramped with all of us there. I worked, so I was gone a lot and stayed out of their hair.
One night, Shelly granted me permission to do a load of laundry. But on the condition that I put the wet towels in the dryer and then fold them after.
I started laundry after everyone went to bed. Around 11 at night.
The washer and dryer were in the bathroom. Directly across from them was the bathtub/shower. There was an area under and on the sides of the tub that were enclosed, but hollow and exposed. The cat liked to go in there all the time. Oftentimes you'd be in the bathroom and not know it was there. Then it would dart out from under there, right past your legs, scaring the crap out of you.
The cat would get under there and creep up to the edge and stare out at you. It was narrow enough that it could get in there and you could see it looking at you, but you couldn't reach in and grab it.
As I was preparing my laundry, I heard a noise behind me. I looked into the hollow area and the cat was there, looking at me.
I shooed it out of there and back into the living room.
Shelly had loaded the washer with too many towels. Big gigantic, heavy beach towels.
To get them out, you had to bend over the washer and reach all the way down into it to pull them out. They'd come out in big, wet heavy clumps.
Then I'd raise up, lean over and throw them in the dryer, which stood to the right of the washer.
I threw them all in, turned on the dryer then shut the lights off and went to bed.
As I was lying on the couch in the dark in my sleeping bag, I heard the washer and dryer making thumping noises. Shelly had mentioned that they sometimes did that and that I should just ignore it. So I did and went to sleep.
The next morning, I awoke to find that Shelly had already left for work.
I went into the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for work. I needed a clean towel so I went to the dryer and opened it.
I started pulling out towels and saw these dark brown stains on them. I remember saying out loud, "
What the hell is this?" as I pulled them out.
I pulled out some more and when I did, I saw it.
The cat was in the dryer, deader than a doornail.
It looked like it was asleep in the fetal position. But it wasn't asleep. It was dead.
Its mouth had sneered up so its top fangs were exposed. The mouth had frozen in that position. All the hair was burnt off its ears and they were translucent. They looked like plastic. You could partially see through them.
Apparently, the cat had come back into the bathroom after I shooed it out, and, when I wasn't looking, leaped silently into the dryer. I unknowingly threw heavy, wet towels on top of it. It didn't make any noise or movement. If I had known it was in there, I would've gotten it out immediately. Besides, I love cats and would never harm one.
I about s**t my own pants and ran to Ryan & Char's room, opened their door and woke them up by yelling, "
Ryan. Char. Get up! I accidentally dried the cat in the dryer!" (I should've knocked because they were both naked with the covers half off of them
)
They both burst out of bed and came to look. Char immidiately started crying and Ryan was like, "
Dude, that's f***ed up. I heard that thumping last night but thought you had shoes in the dryer"
I was wondering what I should do, so I woke up Bill and showed the cat to him and explained what happened.
He was cool with it and didn't seem mad. He understood it was an accident.
I handed him a big black garbage bag and he scooped the cat out into it, tied it shut and placed it on the front porch.
I had to explain to Shelly what happened and hoped that she would understand. But she was at work and wouldn't be back until later. Bill said he would explain it to her but that it might be a good idea to write some kind of written apology. So I took a red marker and wrote in big letters on the large dry erase board in the kitchen:
SHELLY
I'M SORRY I DRIED YOUR CAT IN THE DRYER
PLEASE BELIEVE THAT I DID NOT MEAN FOR IT TO HAPPEN
IT WAS AN ACCIDENT
PLEASE FORGIVE ME
I'LL TALK TO YOU WHEN I GET HOME
JAMEY
Let me tell you, I was nervous as hell when I pulled up to the trailer after work.
I went inside and Shelly was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for me. She was upset that her cat had died, but understood that I would never do anything like that on purpose. She knew how much I liked cats and she forgave me immediately.
So yes, I have accidentally dried someone's cat in the dryer.