These last few months we have had a continuous flow of visitors at our house. Visitors who can be defined as being troublesome, annoying but cute nonetheless.
Visitors, whom one is tempted to kill.
However, we never killed them contrary to what John Steinbeck wrote, “Trouble with mice is you always kill ‘em.”
These little mousekins found their way into our house and they were so little, they would suck in their little tummies and slide out of the bars of the mousetraps. Time and again we lured them with bits of bread and ‘chapati’ slathered with ‘desi ghee’ and even Dates. They would happily eat the snacks and wiggle their way out of the trap.
We also became clever and no matter what time of the day it was, if we heard the smart, loud clap of the mousetrap closing, even during a siesta, we would jump out from under our warm and cozy blanket, rush outside with the protesting mouse and holler for the house-help to come and show the little fella the door. However, I have a sneaky feeling that these tiny beings had a GPS in their heads because they would find their way back home- ours and theirs too!
Negotiating one’s way in the kitchen became tiresome since one always felt the need to rinse the washed utensils.
Finally, we got a mousetrap with a wire mesh around it so the mice could no longer escape. Notwithstanding they kept returning ‘home’. We were at our wits’ end because we had long since perished the thought of either killing them or trapping them on sticky traps. One fine day our household help pointed out a possible entry from between the flaps of the glass sliding door. We blocked that entry and ever since we have enjoyed the blessings of our home devoid of its unwelcome guests.
As I stepped out for a walk the other day I found a little mouse scurrying across the green patch in front of our home. It looked as though he was perplexed at not being able to enter through his secret entry. For just a fraction of a second, I believe I held his gaze and “As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment”, when two living beings questioned their territorial rights.
