Locating it behind the jerry cans in my room, I hover at the doorway.
It looks like a mamba. Worse, it's a young one, with less control of venom release during a bite..
But, I'm not sure, so I reach over and grab the identification book on snakes and reptiles.
Hmm. It's definitely venomous. But is the mamba, or the boomslang?
One kills you in an hour or so... One kills you in a day... [1]
I eyed my bed longingly.
Maybe if I tucked in my net really, really well... I could just go back to sleep.
I sat down in on the sofa in the living room, working on my nerve, before waking up the ladies of the house. There are enough poisonous snakes in this country that I needn’t be stupidly heroic and sleep alongside one.
I woke up my host sister first. She questioningly yells "Snake?!" after I'm forced to repeat the tale twice (as she's sleepy and confused.) My hawk-eared host mother needs no repetition of the story, as her door burst open, and she repeats "A snake? There's a snake?! Where?!" [2]
I lead them over to my room, but they're a good five metres from the door.
Making me feel a little foolish, as I've been pretty close to the snake, eyeing it from the door, maybe a metre and a half away... I also had walked past it once, to turn off the music on my pc.
Once they realized I was serious. Guys, there really is a snake in my bedroom... The two women jumped into action, in the opposite direction, and spirited seven young boys from a neighboring house, conscripting them into a snake killing posse.
I lead them over to my room, but they're a good five metres from the door.
Making me feel a little foolish, as I've been pretty close to the snake, eyeing it from the door, maybe a metre and a half away... I also had walked past it once, to turn off the music on my pc.
Once they realized I was serious. Guys, there really is a snake in my bedroom... The two women jumped into action, in the opposite direction, and spirited seven young boys from a neighboring house, conscripting them into a snake killing posse.
Armed with
sticks, they shrieked from my doorway - too scared to enter - and jostled the jerry cans from as far as they could manage. The chaos persuaded the snake to slither back into the garage. The boys went running 'round to the other garage door and corner the little reptile and beat its brains out. Screaming the whole time.
All while my
host mother was loudly praying/cursing.
Once dead, they paraded it out of the house, draped over a stick. Teasing my host mother a little and pretending to drop it on the floor. Elevating her yelps to shrieks.
Eleven year old conquering heroes, you would think, by the sight of them; so confident they were after the fact. [3]
Once dead, they paraded it out of the house, draped over a stick. Teasing my host mother a little and pretending to drop it on the floor. Elevating her yelps to shrieks.
Eleven year old conquering heroes, you would think, by the sight of them; so confident they were after the fact. [3]
And now I am
uneasily abed… bracing myself for the next invasion.
This evening’s latest disturbance may be karmic retribution for murdering yet
another giant spider this afternoon. It had a 6+
inch leg span. I just want
to be left in peace some days, creepy crawlies.
[1] Now, considering how timid the snake was, when encountering seven boys with sticks.. And little old me.. I think it was a boomslang, and not a mamba..
[2] No one is fond of snakes less than my host mother, Julia. Last year a python made its way up a drainpipe and into a window two metres off the ground. Julia heard the thud as it fell through the window and turns around to see a giant snake settling onto the floor. She was not a fan..
[3] Rather wish I had taken a photo after the fact.. but at the time... I had other things on my mind..
[Edit: My mom really hates snakes. Two days later, kick panels were installed on all of the exterior doors to narrow the gaps along the door jams.. We're snake proof -- or at least we're slightly more confident about being snake-free.. For now.]
[1] Now, considering how timid the snake was, when encountering seven boys with sticks.. And little old me.. I think it was a boomslang, and not a mamba..
[2] No one is fond of snakes less than my host mother, Julia. Last year a python made its way up a drainpipe and into a window two metres off the ground. Julia heard the thud as it fell through the window and turns around to see a giant snake settling onto the floor. She was not a fan..
[3] Rather wish I had taken a photo after the fact.. but at the time... I had other things on my mind..
[Edit: My mom really hates snakes. Two days later, kick panels were installed on all of the exterior doors to narrow the gaps along the door jams.. We're snake proof -- or at least we're slightly more confident about being snake-free.. For now.]