Last night's showdown...

So earlier in the day I had a conversation with friends about rats – yes, there are rats here. I’ve seen them, so far not any larger than a hamster, but still rats. They were telling us of a time when they were awoken in their tukel by a rat & the adventure they had in getting rid of the rat in the middle of the night. Well, my question was, how did it get in there to begin with. Answer, “Oh, didn’t you know they climb walls? They get in right between the thatched roof & concrete wall”. Nope, didn’t know that, now I do & am not sure I wanted to know that…oh well, that’s why I have a lovely mosquito net to keep me safe at night!

This brings us to my night. I cozy up & fall into a deep sleep, only to be awakened from said deep sleep. What, I wonder, could have awaken me? Ah well, just roll on over and go back to sleep. A few moments later, ‘scratch, scratchity, scratch,’ um what was that? Ears perked in the middle of the night…yep, there it is again. Ok, turn on the headtorch (not headlamp here, headtorch just so there’s no confusion – I speak true English these days) and shine it around the top of the concrete wall. Nope, no rats. Ok, go back to sleep. Headtorch off.

Headtorch back on – what was that? Scratching near the door – AHA! Little mini rat (like little field mouse size) trying to find his way out of my tukel! Scratching at my door…what to do? Chase him out…not going to work…call the cat to come & get him…no telling where the cat is right now in the middle of the night & don’t feel like going to find him…

Ok, headtorch off. Maybe I can just forget he’s in here & go back to sleep – my mosquito net is keeping me safe, maybe he’ll find his way out & we’ll all be happy. Scratchity-scratch again! Seriously…headtorch on – yep, there’s the little guy again, trying to find his way out to no avail…ok, so he keeps coming back to the door though I keep shining the light on the door…maybe I can open the door a bit & he’ll get out. But I don’t want to leave my door open while I sleep in case other creatures want to find their way in…and how do I know when he’s left. Ok, I’ll open the door, then sit & watch the door until he leaves…ok…

5 minutes later…mosquito, or mozzi in ‘correct’ English, flying towards headtorch – distraction number one from door monitoring! Ok, mozzi killed, back to the door…still nothing…10 minutes – ‘like a moth to a flame’, no not the rat it was really a moth coming to attack my headtorch as well. Flashback to another conversation with the same friends today. They have bedbugs – moths, they say, bring bed bugs. Stupid moth is flitting all around on my bed in the light of the headtorch – this is not ok! We cannot have rats & bedbugs all in one night! Second distraction, moth killed. Wonder if the little guy got out by now? Surely…

Got to type this story up since I’m wide awake now…door closed, cozied under the net with my computer on. Typing away…scratchity-scratch…seriously rat, you have got to get a larger brain! Deep breath, ok, I’ll prop the door open & set my torch’s light on the door while I type & maybe we’ll both get lucky…I just want to go back to bed. Maybe I should just put my earplugs in & call it a night?

Yep, that’s what I did…after an hour of this going on!!! Fell fast asleep again with earplugs in…3am, cell phone ringing. Don’t know the number…not going to answer it. It rings again, same number…still not going to answer you, let me go to sleep! Ringing again – 5 times!!! Finally it stops – until the text message…all in some other language…not answering, they’ve got to get the picture. Another message – seriously, text back “Wrong Number” and finally sleep.

That was my night…