And so the mouse saga continues! For those who are not aware I am currently sharing my room with a dainty little mouse I would like to call Fivel. While Fivel and I have seen each other in daylight, I often only see ‘remnants’ of his visits to my room. Sometimes I like to play it off like those are not the markings of a mouse, or perhaps they have been there all along and I just hadn’t noticed. The other night made the possibility of his presence a definitive yes.
It was about 1 am and I awoke to hear my Baba return from the shamba (farm). I was glad to hear he finally returned and was drifting back to sleep when I heard the rustling around my room that I often choose to ignore. I was laying there counting more sheep when it suddenly dawned on me that I had a precious commodity left in the open wide…my one and only Mars bar. It has been over 6 weeks since I’ve had good candy and I was finally able to get this bar from a fellow PCV who brought it all the way to the training site from another town kilometers and kilometers away. What hesitation I had before about coming into contact with Fivel went completely out of the mosquito net when I realized that my Bar was exposed!
I knew I was protected in the confines of my mosquito net so I opted to not seek out other means of light to investigate the sound. Instead I chose my IPOD backlight to ‘illuminate’ my room. I hit play and would frantically scan the room until the light would go off, in which case I would have to find the play button again. I repeated this action and came up mouse-less.
As a lay there wondering where this mysterious creature of the night could be hiding, it suddenly dawned on me that the noise was coming from above me. I grabbed my ‘POD’ and hit play once more. To my shock I found Fivel nestled ON TOP of my mosquito net, not far from my head! I didn’t know what to do! If I scared it I risked it falling on me, but if I let it go I knew there was NO way I would sleep just knowing that at any moment it could end up tearing down my net and falling on my face! I decided to make a sound to scare it and see what would happen.
After one clap I watched it gracefully, almost in slow motion, slide down the side my mosquito net. I saw this little mouse silhouette cling to my net with one arm and then the next as he made his way down to the ground. I couldn’t believe I actually saw that happen! Now I KNEW he was on the ground. While I was relieved he was no longer above me and the threat of his sudden attack to my face was gone, I knew this only brought him closer to the Mars bar. Again, I couldn’t leave my security net…so all I could do was lay there and prepare my attack if I heard the rustling of a wrapper. I lay awake the rest of the night until I literally heard the roosters crow to ensure the safety of my bar.
To put an end to the suspense, the break of dawn revealed an unharmed bar…all is well in Tanzania.
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2 comments:
Wow Catherine, that's kind of ridiculous. I bet that'll teach you not to leave precious candy sitting around where the mice can get it. I suggest you start taking your candy to bed with you and keeping it under the mosquito net. You can even cuddle with it as if it were a teddy bear, if that makes you feel better. :-)
Catherine;
Donna and I very proud of you. It takes alot of faith to go somewhere like Tanzania all by yourself. It ain't like a cupcake. Donna spoke to your mom today and we found out how to talk to you. Is there a way to send a care package to you. Again thank you for service and be safe. God Bless you and all those around you. A we say in the NAVY, Fair Winds and Following Seas but I guess in your case the following sands. Can we send emails with photos such as the northern lights. Whats the dogs name? Toto? as in Were not in Kansas anymore.
Love,
Ron and Donna Spiker
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