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Guest Column: A game of cat and mouse with creepy-crawlies
In the game of cat and mouse that ensued, the creepy-crawlies creatures had the upper hand as I would freeze at the sight of them and I wondered how lizards came to be man’s ‘friend’
I was living in a war zone. The house that we had built with great enthusiasm had become home to many other species, before we ourselves could move in. My battle against the rodents, lizards and cockroaches was fierce and intense.
In the game of cat and mouse that ensued, the creepy-crawlies creatures had the upper hand as I would freeze at the sight of them and I wondered how lizards came to be man’s ‘friend’. It seemed that the lizards had been living there for many generations, and it was hard to tell whether I was addressing the father or the grandfather of the clan, whenever one of them popped out from behind the cupboard.
I have a big heart, but not a very brave one. While my attempts to send them scuttling were hardly tales of valour, they were certainly hair-raising!
Once when a grasshopper wandered in, it sent me hopping on sofas, squeaking with fright. The stealth of a furry rodent often made my heart skip a beat. Making a dash for our respective lives, the mouse would slink under the sink and I would run to the bedroom.
At times, our dog would drag in a frog from the garden and place it in the living room, much to my mortification.
These dreadful creatures would suddenly pop up around the house, disturbing my peace of mind. Had they been in the vicinity of my Cantonese friends, they would not have been so lucky, for who knows, they might have ended up on their dinner plate.
Well, not all was lost as my mother was the brave one. She was our ninja fighter who could easily chase down a lizard hiding in nooks and crevices, pick them up with a pair of tongs and swish them out of the house.
Once I gathered my weapons and planned a gorilla attack on the meek roaches, with my children audience to my bravado. Though I was armed with a stick, broom and wiper, it gave me the slip, for I was short on the biggest weapon: my guts. Feeling a little sheepish, I finally hired a soldier with a cockroach gel and spray for the ‘encounter’ of these deadly infiltrators.
By now I had realised that I had to be proactive at curbing the pestilence and I made a few resolves for myself:
1) Besides the Diwali deep cleaning, there would be a similar Holi and monsoon cleaning
2) Leaky pipes would be fixed immediately as the dampness was conducive for lizards to thrive.
3) Fallen scraps and leftover food would be immediately disposed of as the odour could attract unwanted creatures.
4) Kitchen cabinets and appliances would be regularly cleaned and aired out
5) Dustbins would be thoroughly rinsed everyday
6) Doors at all entry points would be sealed, and access would be denied to the four- legged menace.
I am determined to emerge victorious in Round 2.
alkagaurkashyap@gmail.com
(The writer is a Chandigarh-based lawyer)
