Rat-rattled!

Letting off steam is good, and you did it constructively -- by expressing it in words! So, that's ok. You came by last Wed? Hmmm. Maybe I was in a rush because I had the hottest and hectic 10 days of my life, filled with events that made me hotter than the weather!

Firstly, my car exhaust broke and came loose. I had to have it repaired. Then, the engine warning light came on and I had to send the car back to have that fixed. Then, I decided to spruce up the facade of my house and fix back awnings. While the workers were doing all that and while my car was being fixed, I hung around waiting for everything to get done, tiring myself out from the anxiety of waiting!

When I got my car back, the air cond system went bust! I had to get that fixed. Without the air cond made me hotter than hot!

Finally, air cond now fixed, I got home at 8pm, had dinner, read the papers, took a nice cold bath, and, fresh, settled down to watch my favourite TV serial, Prison Break. During the ad break, I went into the kitchen, turning the fan on and then the light, and standing at the sink, I saw from the corner of my eye, a huge black creature bound out from the wet kitchen from behind the washing machine.

I jumped back and saw this black rat, the size of a cat, hop across the kitchen and out! I was startled seeing that thing in my house because rats don't come inside my house. Thinking that it had fled, I got my glass of water and went back to Prison Break.

Again, during an ad break, I went back to the kitchen for something. I turned the fan on, and then the light and standing at the sink, saw a second creature bound out from the wet kitchen! This time I squeaked in fright! It was smaller but still an adult rat! It disappeared out, too.

Too caught up by Prison Break, I went back to TV viewing. When the programme was over, I went to the kitchen to start locking up before going to bed. This time, a third baby rat fled out, skidded on the marble floor, hit the wall, scrambled back on its legs and escaped behind the book shelf!

I squealed! "From where are they coming from!"

Stick in hand, I scoured the whole house for rats -- under the chairs, sofa, beds, cupboards, bathrooms. Satisfied there were no more rats in my house, I locked up and went to sleep.

When I woke up the next day, and went to the kitchen, the first thing I did was to look for rats! None in the house! Relieved!

At night, again, I settled down to read the papers. Then, I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. And, lo! I shrieked in shock! Another blinking rat! A big one, too! Not as big as the first cat-sized black rat, but still a grey-brown adult one! Rats in my house! What's happening!

A fourth rat, second day in a row! That left me undone!

I became so petrified, I ran to the living room, sat in my chair and didn't move for an hour! Then, fearfully I shut all the windows, locked up the house, went upstairs, with the stick, made a lot of noise to drive out the rats, and not finding one finally went to sleep!

I decided: I was not going to live with rats! The next morning, I called the pest exterminators, got one who could come immediately and paid RM 100 to make sure there were no rats in my house!

They checked everywhere and assured me there were no rats. But, to be doubly sure, they left rat poison and rat traps, which, didn't make things any better. I didn't mind the rat poison because the rats would eat that and go away from the house for a water source, usually the drain, where they would die.

The rat traps kept my fear at heightened levels! The rat trap was actually a small rectangular piece of cardboard on which is spread some rat glue. Pieces of biscuit are placed on the glue to bait the rat. I was petrified that I would have to deal with a rat stuck in glue!

The exterminators said that all I needed to do was to take the board and put it in a big plastic bag and throw it away! What? What if the rat were alive? I didn't want to see a rat thrashing in glue in the throes of death! I told them, "I will call you! Please come take it away!" It is a service they do.

Every hour I would check the mats which were placed in the kitchen and outside the house for dead rats. No rat. But was I relieved? No! The damage was done. I broke out in fear. Nothing could allay those fears. When I stepped into my house, I couldn't breathe! I was terrified I would run into a rat!

Just before locking up for the night, I looked outside to see if there were a dead rat. I didn't see the glue mat. Instead, I heard the rough sound of something dragging something like a mat on the other side of my parked car in the porch.

It was midnight and I didn't want to shock myself and get all worked up over having to deal with a dead -- or dying -- rat! I locked up and went to sleep!

The next morning, picking up the papers and looking for the missing glue mat, I found it behind the back right wheel of my car. That wily rat, trapped by glue, had dragged itself with the mat 10 feet away to where I had found it! I called the pest busters and they carried it off.

Since then, I have not seen a rat in my house but do I feel relieved? No, the spectre of rats in my house is so vivid, it has shattered the sense of security I feel in my own house.

I am totally at rest and relaxed in my house but rats have destroyed that! I walk around my house looking for rats now! I am praying and waiting for the day when I can forget about rats and claim my house again as my refuge and sanctuary. Please, God, let that day come fast, like now!

Brian-still-looking-for-love, sure, anytime you need help, you can ask me. BTW, forget about looking for love, look for living your life! And, Fishie, if you make another trip to PD Block, do sms me first. Brian should have given you my number. If not, do get it from him.