Invaded: An Anecdote About a Mother’s Love

We had not been on the island long.  We had only very recently found our little house and moved in.  It was a beautiful home and a beautiful place.  However, in that beautiful place, there was something I did not find so beautiful, and it was about to invade my home…

The Cockroach’s Version

Aahw.  It’s such a warm day out today, just how I like it.

Oooh.  Look!  An open door!  I must see what dark corners lurk in there!

Scurry, quickly, before that door shuts.

Oh how fun!  It’s a family.

I will go straight for that young boy’s face.

Look at the sheer terror in his eyes!  Listen to him scream!  Do you see how he cowered in that corner?

Just like I learned in my Army Ops Class.

Oops.  The Mother saw me.

I will go at her face!

Ooooh!  What glee!  Did you see the look in her eyes?  Did you hear her scream?

She didn’t even know I could fly!

She has probably never even seen one of us before.

Hmm, quickly, scan the room.

Young girl hysterical in corner…very fun.  Baby, clueless…not nearly as much fun.

Uh oh.  The Mother.

She’s laughing.  She’s getting a shoe.

Her brave, nonchalant facade must be for the children.

I can see right through her! She’s actually disgusted, maybe a bit terrified of the unknown. She probably wonders if I carry diseases and invite my friends for parties.

Nonetheless, it is time for my go-to move. Quick.  Hide!

Haha!  Look at them.  They did not know I could move so fast!  They did not even see where I went.

Looks like I can curl up in here for the day.

Hmmm.  The vacuum.  She’s getting the vacuum.

She is reassuring the children that she can get me.

She’s making it a game.

Good.  They’re not buying it. Still terrified.

Heeeheeeheee.  Look at her vacuum around the edges of the room.  She has not yet learned that she will have to look in every shoe, shadow, and lightless sliver of a shelter.

Hmmm.  This one doesn’t give up easily.

She’s emptying drawers now.  How does she think I could have gotten in there?

Uh oh.  She’s starting to get the idea.

She’s going under the couch and in the corner crevices of the tables.  She’s flinging blankets and pillows.

But she won’t find me here.  Will she?  No, I’m safe.  Am I?

She’s coming back to the couch.  She can’t possibly guess that I am on the back of this couch, inside the cover.  No.

She is just getting lucky.

But she’s not going away.

Hmmm.  It looks like the squirming girl and terrified boy are keeping guard of the two doorways into the rest of the house.

I’ll have to go outside and fast.  I’ll head for the door.

She’s flipping the couch now!  3-2-1-Go!  AAAAAAGH!

Oh yeah.  Escaped the vacuum. I’m out!

I couldn’t help dive bombing that boy one last time on the way though.  Heeheehee.

Won’t my mom be proud of me!

Huh?  What?  A shoe!?!?

But I’m out!

What’s this?  What’s that noise?  She’s squealing!

She doesn’t want to hurt me!

Then why?  Why me?

No.  The bottom of the shoe!

It’s coming.

It’s coming fast.

Noooooooooo!

Moral of the Story:  A Mother will do anything to protect her house and home.

After a year and a half on the island, I ended up having plenty of time to meet many cockroaches (so many! And in my kitchen too!), learn the truth about them, get over my squeamishness (mostly), and by the end, even figure out how to get rid of them (again, mostly). But I hope this small story about the first cockroach I ever met made you smile. My kids motivated me to pretend it was nothing and just take care of it, even through the crunching noise at the end. Ugh. Share in the comments: What has your love for your Littles inspired you to do?