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A midnight misfire

 “ATTENSION! ATTENSION!” — A Midnight Misfire in Toronto


The evening we reached Toronto, we were too exhausted to do anything except marvel at our new apartment. After hours of travel, we were just relieved to have arrived — no dinner plans, no unpacking — just grateful to have made it.


And what a reward it was.


Our apartment was on the 25th floor, and that in itself made us a little giddy. The view was spectacular — we could see the whole city glittering beneath us. Every few minutes, a train would glide by far below, looking no bigger than a toy. It felt surreal, almost cinematic, like we were watching life from a skybox.


The apartment was beautifully done — modern, minimal, and full of light. But what took my breath away was the bedroom: it had full French windows — floor-to-ceiling glass on one side — and the city stretched out endlessly beyond them. Even after lying down, I could still see the distant movement of lights and rooftops. It was the kind of view that made you feel like both a part of the city and a quiet spectator to it.


There was no cooking that night, no chaos. Just a peaceful settling in — the kind where you’re tired but content, and everything feels just right.


Until, of course, it was 4 a.m.


We were deep in sleep when the fire alarm rang. My first thought was — maybe someone overcooked their midnight snack. I checked our kitchen. Nothing. The alarm stopped in two minutes. I sighed and went back to bed.


Two minutes later, it rang again. Then a third time. Then a fourth. With each ring, my confidence melted just a little more. Was it a prank? A glitch? Or… was there really a fire?


On the fifth ring, a loud voice filled the apartment building:


“ATTENSION! ATTENSION! This is a fire alarm. Please wait for the next instructions.”


Yes, you read that right — “ATTENSION”, not “attention.” Somehow, even the emergency system had its own accent. That only added to the growing confusion. I tried to wake everyone up. No one took me seriously. We stepped out onto the balcony and saw a fire truck — in the next building. Still not ours.


My heartbeat had now formed its own marching band. I told everyone, “Let’s go down. We can’t take the lift; it’s the 25th floor — but we should go.” Still, no serious reaction.


In my moment of high alert, I turned to the most reliable source of information known to mankind at 4 a.m.: YouTube.


I typed, “Live news Toronto today.”

And there it was — a video about a fire caused by an electric short circuit. Panic mode: activated. I showed it to my elder son in urgency.


He took one look and started laughing.

“Mom,” he said, “this video is from nine days ago.”


Right. It wasn’t live. It wasn’t even new. I had typed today — but YouTube had other plans.


Since that day, “ATTENSION! ATTENSION!” has become a family catchphrase. Whenever someone wants to be taken seriously or make an announcement, they begin with that. What started as panic has now turned into a running joke — one of those little stories families carry with them like souvenirs.


And me? I still stand by my reaction. A cautious mother is better than a clueless one. Even if the fire was nine days old.


Comments

  1. Shambhavi V8 July 2025 at 02:52

    "I turned to the most reliable source of information known to mankind at 4 a.m.: YouTube."
    That got a chuckle out of me. 😂

    ReplyDelete

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