I’m not what you’d call pro-violence. I stopped eating meat several years ago, and, while I’ve shot guns before, it’s not something I really jump at the chance to do. I don’t like watching movies with violence. I tend to spend most of them with my ears stopped up (to avoid the crunching and gushing) and my eyes closed. I even started to avoid killing insects due to my college roommate’s influence (she used to name spiders), but that all stopped when I moved here. You deal with a different kind of creature here. Cockroaches that sit on your dish sponge, then crawl up your arm. But, I would take a sink full of cockroaches over my newest nemesis. The mosquito.
I honestly think they’re mutated here. They have an almost human like intelligence. It’s uncanny. I’ve started reserving 15 minutes before bed to kill them all. I ruffle my curtains, search the ceiling, anything to scare them out. Recently, I started (now I’m not proud of this) blowing over every surface of my room. It’s almost impossible to get them to move otherwise. They hide in these cut out flowers my sister sent me. Little bastards.
It should be a reality t.v. show. Sleeping with mosquitoes makes you a bit of a crazy person. It does something to you. That spider naming friend, Laura, visited recently and went on her own rampage in the middle of the night. I have hit myself so many times in the head, I’m surprised I haven’t had a black eye or bruise. I am like a demented cannibal at night. My eyes roll in my head (usually from exhaustion, sometimes from rage), and I pace around my room, jump off my bed, shake everything I can move. Nothing works. They only come out when it’s dark. They literally won’t move a muscle before then. As soon as the deep sleep is just about upon me, “Bzzz” past my ear, then behind my head, then to the wall on the left. It stops the moment I flip the light on and stagger around my room, thirsty for blood.
I sit on my bed, pleading with God to let me kill it. Pleading for him to make it move or just have it drop dead. (In case you’re wondering, that was my night last night from 4:20 am to 5:45 am). At around 5:30, I looked at myself in the mirror. My left eye was entirely bloodshot from where I scratched it trying to smack a mutant mosquito off my face, and I thought, “God, please. Is this some kind of trial meant to make me stronger?”
Anyway, this whole mutant mosquito issue has really shocked me. I didn’t know I could be so violent. How much I could relish crushing a bug with my bare hands. One friend has an electric racquet that he uses to kill the mosquitoes. I put up a front of thinking it was a bit cruel, but I think I would have sold my first child for one of those racquets last night.
You. crack. me. UP!
I can’t imagine how bad the mosquitoes are there– I know the past two summers here in the Texan wilderness that is our yard, I’ve gone nearly crazy. Shane’s never on board with me, because they don’t go after him! I’m seriously one of those people that if I THINK about going outside, somehow, I get a mosquito bite.
Anyway… I don’t think you’re going crazy. You already were, and now the mosquitoes are messing with a very dangerous person! 🙂
Love you, friend. Beth
i just got up to date with many of your blogs after being in nicaragua etc. I love them because I feel as though i get to crawl inside your mind and thoughts. vintage kari stuff for sure. …and yes,,typical mom response ..how about a misquito net? me
Good idea Kathy…a mosquito net is a grand idea! I love this post. And you!
If there was a deal where I could give my life in exchange for the death of every mosquito in the world–I would do it. Happily. Check out this website. http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howthingswork/a/aa050503a.htm
Good luck
sister. you make me laugh.
i needed that. i was laughing out loud reading that.
makes me think of my time in nepal – there was one night that elizabeth woke up in the night to me crouched on top of my bed, poised for the attack against the one that would not let me sleep. i know that feeling, sis.
I’m missing your writing! You only have one entry for February and the month is almost over. I want to know what’s going on in your life. 🙂
Sending love and prayers your way…
Chels