Mummy hated snakes. This fact must be established. She was, in fact, terrified and tried to make Milly afraid of them too, but the youngster knew that if you left them alone, they wouldn’t harm you. Living in the tropics in a bungalow built high up on stilts (a whole storey), gave you an early education on dangerous beasts.
Mummy was also a ‘clean-freak’ as Milly knew. On the day of her friend, Susan’s birthday, she stood in front of her mother, fists clenched. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It’s not fair!” she sobbed, “It’s only a little spot.”
Mummy shook her head. “I told you to keep your dress clean. No, you can’t go to Susan’s party now. That’ll teach you to be more careful.”
The five-year-old sobbed in fury, and finally stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door. “Stupid dress!” she raged as she tugged it off, not caring that she tore its underarms. She stamped her foot at the unfairness.
After an hour, eyes red-rimmed, she crept into the kitchen and to the back door, opening the double screen doors, creeping down the outside concrete steps to the garden. From a cupboard, she tugged her garage and cars to the cooler, ‘under the house’ area, several feet away from the back stairs. Vrooming the cars in and out of the garage calmed her until a movement caught her eye. Sunning itself carelessly on the bottom step was the blackest, longest snake she’d ever seen. Daddy had told her, ‘Black snakes are probably poisonous, so you definitely leave them alone’. He always added that if you left them alone, they’d leave you alone too. Unconcerned, the unlikely duo continued their solitary pleasures.
Child and snake looked up as the flapping of screen doors reached them. She saw it was her mother’s shoes, making the slow descent to the laundry room below the house. She continued to watch as her mother made her way down, then glanced at the snake. It hadn’t moved, seemingly watching the spectacle curiously.
Milly let the feet come down, a little more than halfway, before she called out. “Mummy, you do know there’s a big black snake on the bottom step...”
The scream split the air, the basket of clothes sailed upwards, pirouetting gently back to earth, the basket landing on the ground to the left of the stairs. Before the basket had begun its downward motion, Mummy had turned, and Milly swore that she’d leapt up the dozen or so steps, three at a time.
The snake raised half its body and turned its head towards Milly. She looked at the snake and shrugged. It seemed to flex its body; if it had shoulders, it too would’ve shrugged, then it turned and slithered away to a cool, dark hidey-hole.
Milly smiled. It had almost been worth it, not going to Susan’s party and this had fully settled the score.
Mummy was also a ‘clean-freak’ as Milly knew. On the day of her friend, Susan’s birthday, she stood in front of her mother, fists clenched. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It’s not fair!” she sobbed, “It’s only a little spot.”
Mummy shook her head. “I told you to keep your dress clean. No, you can’t go to Susan’s party now. That’ll teach you to be more careful.”
The five-year-old sobbed in fury, and finally stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door. “Stupid dress!” she raged as she tugged it off, not caring that she tore its underarms. She stamped her foot at the unfairness.
After an hour, eyes red-rimmed, she crept into the kitchen and to the back door, opening the double screen doors, creeping down the outside concrete steps to the garden. From a cupboard, she tugged her garage and cars to the cooler, ‘under the house’ area, several feet away from the back stairs. Vrooming the cars in and out of the garage calmed her until a movement caught her eye. Sunning itself carelessly on the bottom step was the blackest, longest snake she’d ever seen. Daddy had told her, ‘Black snakes are probably poisonous, so you definitely leave them alone’. He always added that if you left them alone, they’d leave you alone too. Unconcerned, the unlikely duo continued their solitary pleasures.
Child and snake looked up as the flapping of screen doors reached them. She saw it was her mother’s shoes, making the slow descent to the laundry room below the house. She continued to watch as her mother made her way down, then glanced at the snake. It hadn’t moved, seemingly watching the spectacle curiously.
Milly let the feet come down, a little more than halfway, before she called out. “Mummy, you do know there’s a big black snake on the bottom step...”
The scream split the air, the basket of clothes sailed upwards, pirouetting gently back to earth, the basket landing on the ground to the left of the stairs. Before the basket had begun its downward motion, Mummy had turned, and Milly swore that she’d leapt up the dozen or so steps, three at a time.
The snake raised half its body and turned its head towards Milly. She looked at the snake and shrugged. It seemed to flex its body; if it had shoulders, it too would’ve shrugged, then it turned and slithered away to a cool, dark hidey-hole.
Milly smiled. It had almost been worth it, not going to Susan’s party and this had fully settled the score.
