I'm such a girl

I thought about starting this post with a dramatic story, building the tension and suspense to the last possible minute, but then decided that the climax of the post is worth just blurting out- so I'll cut right to the chase. Last night we had a rat in our apartment.

Yes, a rat.

While serving himself seconds of the soup which was simmering on the stove, he heard an empty plastic water bottle fall over and looked to his left to see a rat, scurrying across the counter. Stunned, mortified, and perhaps a little excited we looked at each other and asked the same question: "What do we do." I'm somewhat happy to report that neither of us had any idea (which means we've never had to deal with this before...thankfully). Turns out the answer to is get the askari (night guard). Called to duty, Ali appeared at our door armed and ready- with a stick.

Yes, a stick.

Following an exhaustive search of the kitchen (during which time the rat briefly ran- sharp little fang teeth barred, beady red eyes glistening with evil- STRAIGHT at me, at which point I promptly screamed, jumped out of my slippers, and ran away..I'm such a girl) the rat proceeded down the hall and into our bedroom. Sticks in hand (for Tim had one now too) Ali and Tim spent the next 25 minutes alternating between searching for and chasing the rat around the bedroom until Tim was able to scare it into Ali's (my new personal hero) foot.

Yes, his foot. And yes, that's blood.

When all was said and done, the kitchen  returned to order, and our clothes folded back on the shelves we were both overwhelmed with sadness-- "Do you think he (Ali) killed her (Sandra, the rat)?" I asked Tim. " I don't know," he said, his eyes a little moist. "And to think, she was only here because she was hungry. Poor thing."
- kjd