MY WILD NEIGHBOURHOOD

      

 

 

Growing up in the urban areas in the plains led to less exposure to the woods and wild as well.  But the encounters with the small beings were not less than the ones with the wild.

Rodents – the attackers in our neighborhood who invaded the godowns frequently to have a sumptuous treat of grains and other things that lay around the pucca houses with maximum people.

Rats were predominant and they roamed around the house with full freedom day and night. In the dark, their operations were carried out with full potential leaving the house bizarre. Rats even grated the toenails, heels and many bleed unknowingly with the scrapes made by the rats. A rat trap cage was an essential weapon placed at numerous spots to catch the attackers red-handed. But the rats were so clever that ate masala vada, chips, and any snack that was kept in the cage and slipped off smoothly without being trapped inside the cage. They were unconquerable.

Next to them were squirrels that were the occasional guests near our windows to have a feast of fruits and nuts that were placed on the table or in the basket. They travel even upside down in the cloth lines or string or any ropes many a time in the telephone wire or cables. They bite into bits with their tiny teeth holding the fruit or nut in between their legs and eat it till any human sound interferes with their activity. Sometimes we stand at a distance to watch what they do. But mostly they carry out their job as a secret mission.

Cow and bull were the masters of our street and they roamed around together as Romeo and Juliet always in pairs sometimes giving lift to crows. Their friends' buffaloes, standing in the center of the road were fondly talked about as BRAKE INSPECTORS monitoring every pass byer. Streets were spread with many patches of cow dung and urine making it hard to cross over.

Then were the Monkeys- the Monarchs of the region settling in banyan and pipal trees that were dense and strong. They swing in the branches and snatch the things from the walkers. Entering households from the backyards. Sometimes they drink water stored in buckets near the well and quietly go off. Vendors of fruit, vegetables, and flowers, were their targets,  they would straightly jump into the cart, pick whatever they wanted, and run off in a jiffy before he took out a stick to ward off them. Nobody can go near them, their sound of anger “GO, Ga, Ga” was very severe, ferocious, and frightening.

This was my experience with my so-called wild neighborhood in real life which is very mere when compared to the ones I enjoyed and learned through books.

(This blogpost is in response to a prompt : MY WILD NEIGHBOURHOOD)