Anyone who knows me would think I'm exaggerating when I tell you that I was screaming at the top of my lungs this morning. So much that my throat is still sore tonight!Jim had just left for work a little before dawn. I'd made him an egg sandwich for breakfast and sent him out the door with some hot tea. The morning air was fresh and cool but not uncomfortably so. The sun was just starting to lighten up the eastern sky. Wishing I could go back to bed but knowing I'd never got ready for work on time if I did, I started cleaning up the kitchen.
The double sinks were clean except for one small pan soaking from last night's Lima beans. I emptied the pot of water into the disposal sink and something in the other sink caught my eye. Before I could form the words, "What the...???", I saw this small black furry wet animal scurrying around in the sink!
Instantly I thought it was a mouse, but it had coal black fur and the tail was only half a long as a mouse. It's nose was not as pointed either. Besides, we don't have mice! Not one bit of evidence anywhere that we have a mouse in the house! This was a UFO (Unidentified Fat Object).
But the next instant I was screaming! I'm not normally a screamer. Not even if I see a mouse - or a snake - or a spider or other wildlife creature who comes too close for comfort. I gag when I see a worm and don't step on snakes, but I'm not afraid of them. And I never scream!
I guess this was so unexpected. And I was alone. It was something out of my control. Here was a live animal in my clean kitchen SINK. Uninvited. Unwelcome. Weird. Unexpected. Scary.
How did it get there was even more terrifying. Did it come up from the disposal or the water pipe? Would it disappear the same way it got into the sink only to return and nip at my fingers as I did the dishes? Or be ground to bits the next time I turned on the disposal?
These questions only caused me to scream at it louder and longer!
"What are you? Eeeeeeeek How did you get in the sink? eeeeaaaaoooouuuu Where did you come from? yyyyuuuuuukkkkkk How am I going to get rid of you?" iiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkk
For a second, I peered a little closer tying to convince myself that this was a joke. Maybe Jim left me a tiny kitten for my birthday. He did hide little gifts around for me to find throughout the day. Nope it wasn't a kitten! And I started screaming at the walls, the dogs and myself again.
I hoped the couple upstairs who are usually also up early would come to check out why all the noise. But the unspoken courtesy of apartment living is that any unusual sounds coming from the other side of the walls are none of your business.
So no one responded to my shouts and I knew this must be tackled alone - and soon! What was it? Not a mouse or a rat. It's head and tail were different. I'm not even sure they make black mice, but it wasn't a mouse or a kitten was all I had figured out by the time I decided that whatever this black creature was, I wasn't going to kill it in the sink but I wasn't going to leave it there either!
Grabbing a thick (clean) dish towel, I threw it over the excited animal and ran outside with it squirming around in the cloth like it would escape and jump down the front of my nightgown any second! Tossing it into the grass, the fright left me as quick as the UFO left the towel. I peered closer to see if I could figure out any more from this strange visitor in my kitchen.
Nope. It dug down into the grass (not scampering like a mouse would do) and disappeared.
Feeling empty of life and desire to do anything at the moment, I glared at the dog who had remained quiet and was looking at me in a strange way. "Mommy okay?" Sheba seemed to be asking.
I'm still not okay. Jim says maybe the little animal might be a small mole that came in when the door was open although we NEVER leave the door open. Or perhaps it was in a plant container we brought in from the store the other day? It could have possibly climbed up the trailing vines I have on the table by the front door and above the sink. That's the best we can think of.
But you can be sure that tonight all the lights on are and the kitchen sink has been cleaned for hours with bleach and disinfectant. The mystery remains, but at least I'm not still screaming.
Take Care on the Journey,
Don't leave the doors open!
~Linda
2 comments:
He's just a little Mole. They are blind and he proubly just came in with the plants. I wouldn't want to find him in the sink either. We have a huge black snake that curles up in the flower pot by the front door. I make lots of noise before going out to scard him off.
Love
What a classic, vivid example of a person reacting completely from the back of the brain. I have been learning about this lately and this is such a good illustration. Your amygdala is evidently functioning very actively. Of course, no amount of logic after the fact has any effect on a situation like this because that part of the brain is completely shut down during such a traumatic experience.
Yes, yes I know I'm an information nerd sometimes. But this was so good. And its so much better when its someone else's experience.
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