The Snake Takedown
It all began in the heat of the day, when the neighborhood had taken shelter from the scorching sun. I was indoors with the company of my mom and brother, unwary of any looming danger. The silence that had long gripped the house was broken when my sister pushed the front door open. Amidst the struggle of pulling her socks, she spotted a snake wrapped around my footwear and immediately raised the alarm that would soon spread into the neighborhood.
Without hesitation, my elder brother who was seated about an arm's length from the door reached out and pulled her inside first, before dashing out to tackle the situation. In the aftermath of the alarm, pandemonium erupted — my mom rushed out first to have a glimpse that left her stunned, she could only scream "Bring a pestle, bring me something!!!"
Fortunately, my sister understood the situation and selected the deadliest weapon from the arsenal — a cutlass, handed it over to my mom who flung it onto the verandah and shut the door behind us.
In the midst of this chaos, I had remained seated convinced it was just a little lost snake until my brother called for immediate backup. Reluctantly, I answered the Call to Duty and stepped out. The alarm had already awakened several people who gathered to cheer my brother on as he continued to besiege stacks of concrete blocks where the cunning creature had taken refuge. I was eager to see the scoundrel that had posed a nuisance to my state of tranquility.
My brother beckoned to me the moment I arrived, "Hold this stick! Once you spot its head, strike without hesitation." My goodness, I arrived on the battlefield without any knowledge of the enemy's plan. This guy won't let me settle, and neither will the crowd, as they continue cheering from a distance. I did a quick survey of these newfound fans — a granny, two middle aged women, a couple who seemed to be in their early sixties and my mother, now the cheerleader of this temporary supporters club.
The ambush was perfect, the first strike forced the snake out and it raced towards the granny, mama responded by galloping for safety. Fortunately, the chase was intercepted and the snake returned to its refuge. As we rallied around it trying to figure out the best way to end this disturbance, a girl emerged with a cup of kerosene — quite the African way to finish off snakes. And for a big one like this, it will be wise to deploy the immobilization before extermination strategy and so we emptied the cup's contents right inside the block stacks.
Left with no space to breathe nor escape, the snake made one final death launch to the open space that will soon become its graveyard. We answered in kind but fully on guard against being bitten as it slithered left and right writhing for life. Alas! it was subdued and when the dust settled, I drew out the cutlass that had been buried in sand during the siege and proceeded to end the battle.
The couple made a request to take photographs before its head was detached. What a lovely, hilarious sight as the man picked up and jokingly threw the snake to his wife, so the battlefield had now become a playground for them. I had no option than to leave the dying snake to itself, my work there is done and the couples would determine its fate.
Like a returning soldier, I nodded my head in satisfaction at the cheers of the neighborhood, praising us for taking out a major threat to their safety. What a Day! 🌃
Without hesitation, my elder brother who was seated about an arm's length from the door reached out and pulled her inside first, before dashing out to tackle the situation. In the aftermath of the alarm, pandemonium erupted — my mom rushed out first to have a glimpse that left her stunned, she could only scream "Bring a pestle, bring me something!!!"
Fortunately, my sister understood the situation and selected the deadliest weapon from the arsenal — a cutlass, handed it over to my mom who flung it onto the verandah and shut the door behind us.
In the midst of this chaos, I had remained seated convinced it was just a little lost snake until my brother called for immediate backup. Reluctantly, I answered the Call to Duty and stepped out. The alarm had already awakened several people who gathered to cheer my brother on as he continued to besiege stacks of concrete blocks where the cunning creature had taken refuge. I was eager to see the scoundrel that had posed a nuisance to my state of tranquility.
My brother beckoned to me the moment I arrived, "Hold this stick! Once you spot its head, strike without hesitation." My goodness, I arrived on the battlefield without any knowledge of the enemy's plan. This guy won't let me settle, and neither will the crowd, as they continue cheering from a distance. I did a quick survey of these newfound fans — a granny, two middle aged women, a couple who seemed to be in their early sixties and my mother, now the cheerleader of this temporary supporters club.
The ambush was perfect, the first strike forced the snake out and it raced towards the granny, mama responded by galloping for safety. Fortunately, the chase was intercepted and the snake returned to its refuge. As we rallied around it trying to figure out the best way to end this disturbance, a girl emerged with a cup of kerosene — quite the African way to finish off snakes. And for a big one like this, it will be wise to deploy the immobilization before extermination strategy and so we emptied the cup's contents right inside the block stacks.
Left with no space to breathe nor escape, the snake made one final death launch to the open space that will soon become its graveyard. We answered in kind but fully on guard against being bitten as it slithered left and right writhing for life. Alas! it was subdued and when the dust settled, I drew out the cutlass that had been buried in sand during the siege and proceeded to end the battle.
The couple made a request to take photographs before its head was detached. What a lovely, hilarious sight as the man picked up and jokingly threw the snake to his wife, so the battlefield had now become a playground for them. I had no option than to leave the dying snake to itself, my work there is done and the couples would determine its fate.
Like a returning soldier, I nodded my head in satisfaction at the cheers of the neighborhood, praising us for taking out a major threat to their safety. What a Day! 🌃
