Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Invasion after midnight

When you march off to bed, so tired, flipping off light switches and locking doors, the last thing you want to see, when you walk into your room, is a cockroach doing a runway walk on your blanket.

“Naaaaaaaaaaaaayeeeeeeeeeffffffffff!!!!” I screamed, tonsils ringing like alarm bells. “Z’haaaaaaaaayweeeeeeeeeeeee !!! ” (cockroach in arabic)

I could hear him cursing from the hallway as he walked towards our bedroom, not enthusiastic about my find, nor my manner in expressing my horror.

“Okay. Okay, calm down.” He muttered as he walked to the kitchen to get paper towels. I remained plastered to the wall, like a petrified shadow, staring hatefully at the intruder. The bastard cockroach had frozen on the edge of the bed, pretending not to be there.

“Where did he come from, Nayef? Where? We are not cockroach people!” I was hysterical, walking backwards as Nayef captured the evil creature.

I mean, we clean our house, we’ve had pest control, and we’re basically good people. Why is it on my bed??? Why? I suddenly feel dirty and ashamed…and a little bit homeless.

I looked accusingly at the open bathroom door, and shut it firmly, after checking under the sink for a cockroach party. No relatives in sight.

Whisker rudely awakened from my screaming, and Nayef storming out of the house with a big crumpled ball of newspaper, looked at me for an explanation. I tried to enlighten her, but she wasn’t so interested. As long as the screaming wasn’t about her, she didn’t care and comfortably nestled her head into her butt, making like a doughnut in her insect-free bed.

“Where did you put it?” I greeted Nayef at the door.
In the garbage.”
“With its friends?? To make more babies???” I shrieked.
“No, no, no. I crushed it. It’s dead. No babies.” He patted my head.
“Goood!”

Following the killing festival, our sleepiness evaporated, and we resentfully walked back to the TV room to watch more 24.

Of course, as one does in times of horror, I Googled my latest nightmare. I had to know more about this invasive species, and below is my disturbing find:

“Cockroaches live up to a year. The female may produce up to eight egg cases in a lifetime; in favorable conditions, it can produce 300-400 offspring. Other species of cockroach, however, can produce an extremely high number of eggs in a lifetime. Laying up to 100 eggs in each egg sac, it only needs to be impregnated once to be able to lay eggs for the rest of its life, allowing one single cockroach to lay over a million eggs during its lifespan.”—Source: Wikipedia.

No wonder, the fu*&ers are always wondering around alone. They’re already pregnant! No biological clock ticking, no need to date and no worries about missing out on motherhood. Just a one-night stand on a crazy lonely night of passion, and the bitch is set up for life. Children here, children there, spreading disgusting nuclear war-proof eggs everywhere.

It was 1:30am when we stumbled upon ‘sleeping beauty’ on our bed. I couldn’t help but think that if it wasn’t a holiday, at that time, it would be dark in our room, and we’d be sleeping, stupidly unaware of the monster invasion.

So what do we do now? We are both exhausted, refugeed on the sofa, watching hour 4am on 24, bed-less and pyjama-less.

Oooh…I can’t go back to bed consciously. Damn it, I need a tranquilizer.

16 comments:

Mahmood Al-Yousif said...

Oh man that cracked me up! Thanks for the laughs. My wife is terrified of the beasts too and my daughter doesn't like them much either. So guess who gets called at inopportune moments to dispose of them?

:D

Dilmun said...

Farah, that was seriously funny. You reminded me of the time that I had to kill a lizard on my honeymoon. Ofcourse normally I wouldn't ever contimplate going near any such creature. But, I was on my honeymoon so I battled the little freak. I had to use the "Arabic" In3al weapon to flatten it. And, thats how I killed my first Lizard. I must admit it has been easier since so I suggest the best remedy for you is to actually Kill a cockroach you'll feel more powerful and able to overcome the little bastard!

Anonymous said...

Just a small compliment, your writing style is easy to follow and witty and imaginative. I assume you are not a native speaker which makes your style even more commendable. Keep the good work and lets have more funny stories.

Thanks to Mahmood for the link.

Um Naief said...

i love this post!! you know, these suckers can come up thru the sink. i've walked into our tv room bathroom and one will be sitting in the sink pretending not to be there. they totally disgust me and i often feel the same way as you describe here... wondering how or why they've come into our house because it's clean, and i tend to always feel ashamed by it for some reason.

again, great post!

F. Mattar said...

I love it when I get comments! Mahmood, being rescued is the best part. I'm sure they adore you for doing that.

Dilmun, I can't believe you killed a lizard on your honeymoon with a N3al! In Malaysia, I saw a mini crocodile on the garden wall. I wouldn't go into the plunge pool, until my husband scouted the entire area with a shoe, and told me it was safe.

Anonymous said...

Keep the lights on in bathrooms and kitchen. Now say a prayer for me for giving you this tip.

F. Mattar said...

How does that work? Will they think we're awake and not come out? Or will the light distract them so much, they'll forget why they came in the first place? I have to understand their psyche...

Ali Al Saeed said...

LOL great post. we've all been there! sometimes you feel you're at war with them, one which we know we can't win!

boy, you just brought all sorts of stories of my battles with insects.

the worst is probably when i noticed a lizard while i was in the shower. i had to act quick and launched the bar of soap at it. like a missile it crashed and killed it.. but the friggin' tail kept crawling and escaped through the drain!

Anonymous said...

Alsarsur will not come out from a dark drain to a lit surrounding. try it..... it works.

SoulSearch said...

That was hilarious Farah, I loved the monster invasion story,
looking forward to more of your posts.

Love,
SoulSearch

Anonymous said...

I live in Dubai and I remember I got out of bed half asleep one morning ready to jump in the shower and stepped on some lizzard like creature and flattened it with my bare foot.

I hopped screaming around my apartment for the next 10 minutes before jumping in the shower.

Even when I went to clean it up it was still moving.

AGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

F. Mattar said...

AAAAAHHHHHH, that's horrifying, did you cry? I would've been found whimpering a week later in bed with my foot neatly tied up in a plastic bag holding lizard poison...that is absolutely...oh my god, i'm going to cry, i'm so sorry for your horror.

Anonymous said...

Farah you're absolutely hilarious!
loved your story. :)

Sarah said...

hahahahaha!!!! That is straight up hilarious! Hahahahaha oh my gawdddddddd I can sooo relate.

I would have to wrap myselft up like a mummy to fall asleep after that. aaaaaaak!

And on that note, to all those who step in to save us from the critters. A HUGE THANK YOU!

Anonymous said...

Farah, you really made me laugh! (again.. as usual).. Seriously, you have such a unique way to express normal everyday life into amazing articles!
I think you should just start writing a book.. Well done!

Kris said...

LOL... My husband is scared of them too... I don't care for them either of course, but am not as bad as he is.