It was when I was about four year old. One sunny cold winter day, my mother was taking out the laundry to our balcony as usual. She left the balcony door open, and the cold morning air was coming inside. On the floor, there was a bag of laundry clips that she was going to use.
I was sitting on the floor, closely observing these laundry clips, and thought that they resembled the shape of a human mouth. I picked up one of them in my hand and started gripping and releasing its end continuously so that the clip looked like a mouth speaking something.
Then I wondered what would happen if I put this mouth-like clip to an actual mouth. I put the clip into my mouth, and released the end that I had been holding. The next moment, the end of the laundry clip opened, and pushed my mouth open with such a force. Surprised, I tried to remove the clip out of my mouth, but its spring was very strong and the clip was completely stuck in my mouth. I couldn’t even close my mouth.
Panicked, I looked toward the balcony searching for my mother. She had just finished cleaning the railing and come in to pick up the clothes and the clips.
As soon as she came inside, I made the loudest noise possible.
“Ah-ah-ah!”
I said and pointed to my mouth, explaining the emergency that was happening in my mouth. My eyes were tearful due to the panic and pain of the clip.
My mother came to me and with one swift move she removed the clip from my mouth.
“You silly girl.”
She said with a laugh before returning to her laundry task.
I was so relieved to find my mouth closed again. As I looked at the clip that was now outside of my mouth, I swore myself that I would never again put a laundry clip in my mouth.