Perspectives
<i>My other guests</i>
The other day I was just about to wash my face when I saw a lizard staring at me with its bulbous eyes right in the middle of the sink. The sink was deep and the poor thing was trying to climb upwards but was unable to do so on the slippery surface. I could almost hear it shouting out for help as it looked up at me. I could see panic written in its eyes. I got a plate from the kitchen and held it out to the frightened creature. After several trials he finally crawled onto the plate and I was able to rescue the lizard from its peril. I was late that day for my office. My boss glared at me as I entered through the gate. I just couldn't tell him about my adventures with the lizard. However, I had a good feeling knowing that the lizard was roaming around the walls of my home. I had a vision of other lizards hearing the story of their friend's adventure and appreciating my help. And why shouldn't I help these quiet inhabitants of my home? After all, the Lord made them all. My home is nicely decorated with my pot garden. I have a number of hibiscus, bougainvillea and other trees. But they have started losing their branches at an alarming rate. Everyday I see some branches missing and I just wonder who has been trespassing. Who could be coming to my fifth floor apartment and taking the branches? The other day I sat inside my room. The curtains were raised while I glanced at the beautiful clear sky from time to time. I noticed some sparrows and robins flying in and out of my balcony. I hid behind the curtain and the waiting mystery was solved. The birds were coming in turns and breaking off the twigs of my trees! At first I was annoyed that they should choose my pot garden to take their materials to build their nests. But then, I felt sorry for them. After all, trees were becoming scarce with the felling of the trees as more and more high rise buildings went up. I remained in my room, allowing the birds to take their twigs. The Lord made them all! On a windowsill overlooking the garden I left a mirror one day. I was reading quietly in the corner of my room when two sparrows fluttered in and settled on the window sill. Together they inspected the mirror first and then one of them went very close. This sparrow now skipped and hopped in front of the mirror and from time to time inspected his image. The waiting sparrow moved up and pecked the other bird as if to ask her to move. Now this sparrow fluttered away and settled back while the second bird came near the mirror. I was once again witnessing a remarkable display while this bird twittered and did a little dance. And all the while, with sparkling eyes the bird looked on at the mirror, not missing a single beat of its dance in the looking glass. As I started to laugh out aloud they raised a hue and cry, as if caught in the hidden act. They flew out the window. One day, after doing a cleaning job of getting rid of cockroaches, I was very surprised to find a huge one sitting right on top of my favourite story book. It was a huge cockroach with long tentacles and gawky eyes. It sat there rubbing its tentacles as if to say, " Aha, got rid of my family, eh? See how now I sit on your favourite book and I will make sure to leave some eggs in the folds of its pages!" I had just taken my long fly spat to hit when it flew up and started to go around, sitting on this wall and that. I just could not reach it. I called the maid to help me out. Just when the maid entered the room the electricity went off and the devil cockroach took the chance to go into good hiding. These days as I go off to sleep I imagine the cockroach flying out to sit on me and I get the goose bumps. So I have taken to having the mosquito net fitted all around my bed so as to keep that roach off. I wonder how many eggs it has laid and how many baby roaches will soon come out from behind the bookshelf. How can a cockroach be so vindictive? Mosquitoes are frequent visitors who wait patiently till the doors and windows are opened and they can get inside. If there is one mosquito in the room it is sure to come and settle for my blood. People say that my blood is sweet and that is why those horrific creatures favour me. The mosquitoes make me wonder if really my blood is sweet after all. However, one thing that I do know about my blood is that it really starts boiling when in the middle of the night a sudden droning sounds in my ears. I wake up with a start, knowing well that a mosquito was preparing to bite me. I get up, put the lights on and start looking for that fellow. Hubby starts groaning and mutters, "What will a single mosquito do to you?" I wonder why he does not realize that one mosquito is enough to make me spend a sleepless night and start the morning looking like a lunatic! While mosquitoes can make life hell for the whole night, what if the ants decide to have a roll on my soft bed? They would bite me till I retire on the couch and douse myself with talcum powder. But, truly, I really enjoy observing these tiny insects. How disciplined they are when they march along in long lines! And how social too! So nice of them to say hello as they nudge each other while passing by. I wonder if we can be so nice and say a smiling hello to everyone regardless of our feeling in the pit of our hearts. These insects and birds may be my in-house guests or maybe they think they are the owners! Nothing to be surprised about if they do! The other day I got a tiny bat in my living room. It had flown in with the gusts of wind blowing before a coming storm. When I put the lights on I jumped at the sight of it hanging from the roof. For a second I was transported to ancient houses where bats hang from the roofs. I found the bat sort of eerie, as if something sinister was going to happen. I suppose these creatures do give those creepy feelings. I ran out of the room and rang up my brother to come rescue me. He had to come through a long queue of traffic to get the bat out. I had to treat him at KFC for the rescue. Did the bat realize all the troubles he had caused? I am sure it is still hanging somewhere with his face down, least bothered about its adventure. This is the time to indulge myself with mangoes and jackfruits. I do not care if I add a stone or two to my weight these days. But those fruits cannot be avoided. But it seems to me that I can never have my fruits in peace without having flies swarming around me. God knows where these insects come from. All the doors and windows are closed and yet with a droning sound a big fly will settle beside my plate just when I am about to bite into the delicious mango. A look at the large eyes rolling all around sets the mind on high alert. The legs moving all over the table make you imagine all the other places they have been to and you feel a murderous rage boiling over. I take the fly spat and go wham! No use, the fly is out of my range before I have the chance to settle on it. That is what these notorious flies do. They just dig into your worst raging self and destroy the peace! And indeed all these guests in my house make me delve into the trials and tribulations of life in Dhaka. Exasperated, I do at times feel like scribbling down "No trespassing please!" all around my home!
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