Living in a glorified jungle hut with a palm roof and dirt floors you can expect to find things crawling in the night that would be unexpected in a comfortable suburban home. Cockroaches are one such thing that crawls in the night.
For that reason, amongst others, I always kept a heavy duty flashlight by my bed. The light would banish them, sending the cockroaches scurrying to hidden crevices in the wall. It was always accessible—except for this one night.
We were lying in bed chatting quietly when Matt suddenly groaned, "There's a cockroach in the bed. Where's the light?"
Reaching for the ever present flashlight, it was my turn to groan. I had forgotten it on the kitchen counter.
"I'll go get it," I said as I pulled my housecoat around me and headed for the kitchen. I flipped on the dim 12-volt bulb that served as a bedroom light on the way out to give a least a semblance of light along the way.
As I entered the kitchen in the semi-darkness, I started to step down on something. As soon as I felt the tentacle-like legs reaching around the bottom of my foot I thought cockroach! The big ones! That yucky, clingy feel! The grossness of them!
My foot barely touched the floor before I was doing a silent dance, my foot shaking in strange gyrations in an attempt to discard the offending critter. It flew off—much to my relief. Grossness was averted.
Reaching for the flashlight I flipped it on to find the cockroach and dispose of it. The light revealed quite a different picture than I had anticipated. There on the floor between me and the hallway to the bedroom was a black scorpion. Suddenly it was not grossness, but agonizing pain that had been averted!
Now came the question as to what to do with this scorpion. Killing it was an option, but I would have to leave it to find something to aid in the process. And I really didn't want to let it escape and continue to wander my home!
Not wishing to awaken the children nor our visitors, Pastor Ron & Elaine, I called in a whisper to my husband to come out. Thankfully he obliged. More thankfully than that, he did the duty of collecting the scorpion for "show and tell" the next day to our visitors. And yes, they were impressed!
Rest assured, the flashlight stayed faithfully by my bedside for years to come!
For that reason, amongst others, I always kept a heavy duty flashlight by my bed. The light would banish them, sending the cockroaches scurrying to hidden crevices in the wall. It was always accessible—except for this one night.
We were lying in bed chatting quietly when Matt suddenly groaned, "There's a cockroach in the bed. Where's the light?"
Reaching for the ever present flashlight, it was my turn to groan. I had forgotten it on the kitchen counter.
"I'll go get it," I said as I pulled my housecoat around me and headed for the kitchen. I flipped on the dim 12-volt bulb that served as a bedroom light on the way out to give a least a semblance of light along the way.
As I entered the kitchen in the semi-darkness, I started to step down on something. As soon as I felt the tentacle-like legs reaching around the bottom of my foot I thought cockroach! The big ones! That yucky, clingy feel! The grossness of them!
My foot barely touched the floor before I was doing a silent dance, my foot shaking in strange gyrations in an attempt to discard the offending critter. It flew off—much to my relief. Grossness was averted.
Reaching for the flashlight I flipped it on to find the cockroach and dispose of it. The light revealed quite a different picture than I had anticipated. There on the floor between me and the hallway to the bedroom was a black scorpion. Suddenly it was not grossness, but agonizing pain that had been averted!
Now came the question as to what to do with this scorpion. Killing it was an option, but I would have to leave it to find something to aid in the process. And I really didn't want to let it escape and continue to wander my home!
Not wishing to awaken the children nor our visitors, Pastor Ron & Elaine, I called in a whisper to my husband to come out. Thankfully he obliged. More thankfully than that, he did the duty of collecting the scorpion for "show and tell" the next day to our visitors. And yes, they were impressed!
Rest assured, the flashlight stayed faithfully by my bedside for years to come!
heebie jeebie!
ReplyDeleteI have had the cockroach in the bed experience as well, but I can't say I have ever stepped on a scorpion. A snake yes, but not a scorpion :) Which is why I ALWAYS wear flip flops now!!!
ReplyDeleteI must admit I still went barefoot for the most part... .
ReplyDelete