Late on Sunday afternoon, Floyd, Troy, and I were at the well. Raegan was doing dishes and Tyler was helping by drying and putting them away. As he moved around the kitchen, something caught his eye just behind the house.
He went to the door and got a surprise. He watched a long snake go around our cistern, through the outdoor tower, around a plastic cistern, and down into our soak pit. The soak pit is supposed to be buried under ground, but it is one of the things that still hasn't been worked on since we arrived.
Tyler came to the well to tell us. Since it was in the pit, all we could do was wait for it to come out. I went down to the gate to let the night guard know it was there so that he would be cautious, so as not to be taken by surprise in the dark. He came to the house and told us we should get it and kill it. He suggested burning a tire to bring it out (apparently they cannot tolerate the smell), but we had no spare tire to burn.
Floyd called Pastor Johnson and he said to take some kerosene and pour it around the veranda and entry ways, and then on the pit. Apparently, they can't stand that smell either. So, as Raegan and I sat on the porch of the dormitory with the other ladies, all the men were at our house on a snake hunt (in case you're worried, all the kids were inside the dormitory).
After some time, Tyler came across telling me to come see the snake they had caught. I headed toward the house with Makline, Grace, Flavia, and Sylvia all following behind to see. We didn't even make it 20 steps before the men came carrying the snake, and it was NOT dead. We were all looking with caution as one man held it just behind the head. Then he threw it on the ground and we all jumped and screamed! He stepped on the head, crushing it. The children heard the commotion and came out to see. We were all watching as the nerves continued to work and the body continued to slither around. The men had a good time scaring everyone by pretending to kick it towards the kids or acting suddenly startled. Every time the kids would run screaming, then slowly creep back closer and closer.
After a good time of laughs, the final decision was to burn it. Since we still needed to burn our trash, it was good timing anyway. They put some petrol on it and it lit up quite nicely. ;)
Everyone confirmed that it was a green mamba. Their poison is deadly and they are very fast. There was one man who was instrumental in its capture. He began taking rocks out of the pit searching for the snake. He is also the one that was carrying it and then crushed its head. Floyd gave him the nickname, Snake Hunter.
After the burn, everyone walked over to the pit and a few men shined their torches (flashlights) on the pit to show us how many rocks they had to take out to catch the snake. Sure enough, a mouse was caught in the light. It was a very dark one, not gray like I've seen in Texas. As many know, I don't handle rodents well. I was doing okay until a few of them began throwing rocks at it to kill it. I could just see that thing running right into the house to escape. I quickly ran inside and closed the back door. I went through the house and back across the street. Later I received a report that they had killed it and I was glad that I had not been there to witness it or hear the squeaking.
The excitement was fun and everyone had some good laughs, but we also praise The Lord for bringing the snake to our attention before anyone was hurt. Besides our own family, the security guard, the foreman, and many of our students work and play on our porch and around our house. Raegan and I empty our basins and cooking pots into that soak pit many times a day and it is only a few feet out the back door. That snake was in a very dangerous place. Now we are more on our guard with watchful eyes and perhaps the workers will be more quick to seal the soak pits. Either way, we thank God for his protection.
He went to the door and got a surprise. He watched a long snake go around our cistern, through the outdoor tower, around a plastic cistern, and down into our soak pit. The soak pit is supposed to be buried under ground, but it is one of the things that still hasn't been worked on since we arrived.
Tyler came to the well to tell us. Since it was in the pit, all we could do was wait for it to come out. I went down to the gate to let the night guard know it was there so that he would be cautious, so as not to be taken by surprise in the dark. He came to the house and told us we should get it and kill it. He suggested burning a tire to bring it out (apparently they cannot tolerate the smell), but we had no spare tire to burn.
Floyd called Pastor Johnson and he said to take some kerosene and pour it around the veranda and entry ways, and then on the pit. Apparently, they can't stand that smell either. So, as Raegan and I sat on the porch of the dormitory with the other ladies, all the men were at our house on a snake hunt (in case you're worried, all the kids were inside the dormitory).
After some time, Tyler came across telling me to come see the snake they had caught. I headed toward the house with Makline, Grace, Flavia, and Sylvia all following behind to see. We didn't even make it 20 steps before the men came carrying the snake, and it was NOT dead. We were all looking with caution as one man held it just behind the head. Then he threw it on the ground and we all jumped and screamed! He stepped on the head, crushing it. The children heard the commotion and came out to see. We were all watching as the nerves continued to work and the body continued to slither around. The men had a good time scaring everyone by pretending to kick it towards the kids or acting suddenly startled. Every time the kids would run screaming, then slowly creep back closer and closer.
After a good time of laughs, the final decision was to burn it. Since we still needed to burn our trash, it was good timing anyway. They put some petrol on it and it lit up quite nicely. ;)
Everyone confirmed that it was a green mamba. Their poison is deadly and they are very fast. There was one man who was instrumental in its capture. He began taking rocks out of the pit searching for the snake. He is also the one that was carrying it and then crushed its head. Floyd gave him the nickname, Snake Hunter.
After the burn, everyone walked over to the pit and a few men shined their torches (flashlights) on the pit to show us how many rocks they had to take out to catch the snake. Sure enough, a mouse was caught in the light. It was a very dark one, not gray like I've seen in Texas. As many know, I don't handle rodents well. I was doing okay until a few of them began throwing rocks at it to kill it. I could just see that thing running right into the house to escape. I quickly ran inside and closed the back door. I went through the house and back across the street. Later I received a report that they had killed it and I was glad that I had not been there to witness it or hear the squeaking.
The excitement was fun and everyone had some good laughs, but we also praise The Lord for bringing the snake to our attention before anyone was hurt. Besides our own family, the security guard, the foreman, and many of our students work and play on our porch and around our house. Raegan and I empty our basins and cooking pots into that soak pit many times a day and it is only a few feet out the back door. That snake was in a very dangerous place. Now we are more on our guard with watchful eyes and perhaps the workers will be more quick to seal the soak pits. Either way, we thank God for his protection.
Praising God for your protection!
ReplyDeletePraying for you all. :-)
ReplyDelete