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UNFORESEEN EMERGENCIES

 UNFORESEEN EMERGENCIES

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

27/VI/2024

 

The pre monsoon showers have knocked the doors of the Sun City. Though the mood was building up for a couple of days, the clouds were not giving in. They came hovering over the city, churned in and out, changed colours from white to dark grey, and let out an occasional flash of lightning to remind us that they were there, but won’t open their flood gates.

Here, the atmosphere builds up as if it would rain anytime. High speed winds, dark clouds, followed by snapping branches and falling trees is a common phenomenon. Then the whole thing subsides, giving people of the Suncity a dodge. But that day, it appeared that rain won’t give us a miss was what my ‘eleventh sense’ told me.

It just so happened that the curtains of the drawing room were drawn. I was sifting through the day's photos sitting on the table when I heard the pitter patter of rain. These were the warning shots I suppose. The barrage had yet to be fired. Dark clouds were circling overhead, ready to release their load.

Generally, we keep a bucket full of water for emergencies in the veranda. Just in case any plant would need a mug full, especially if that day we skipped watering them in this heat. In the rainy season, we always collect rain water which overflows the ledge.

That passing shower could only fill half a bucket.

Next evening, there was not a spec of cloud in the sky. However, it was time to feed the fish. They wait for me like other pets. Moment mollies hear the front door open or my shadow is cast on their tub they start surfacing and congregating asking to be fed immediately. One just melts at their gestures.

Just as I was about to empty a spoonful of fish food, I noticed a motionless and lifeless body lying in the pool created by that half-filled bucket. It was probably a large lizard which had drowned and died.

On a closer look, it was none other than Mr TikTok the great. Bhai saab was floating but appeared as if he had drowned. A chilled feeling went up my spine.

Everyday, I take a rough count of the fish, just to know if someone has gone missing. But today, there was another emergency. The fish could wait a little longer. I would explain to them later that there was someone needing attention at top priority.

By then my wife had joined me as my heart was thumping loudly seeing his condition. TikTok has been my friend for a longtime. He and his family keep our garden insect free. I could not let him die.

Just as I was about to pick him up in my hand, probably, from the corner of his eye he saw me. Thank God he started to wriggle and was very much alive. He was tired, with no energy left to climb out of the bucket as the water level was quite low and his claws found no grip to climb out.

That is the time I decided to take a few clicks before rescuing him. I did not know that these guys are excellent swimmers. One has noticed that as the tree on which he resides is showered with water, this guy scoots to dry ground. He just doesn’t like to get wet.

Nature is such that it has taught every animal and reptile to swim, except we humans.

How he fell into the bucket was a mystery which needed investigation? As I peered into the water with Mr TikTok floating atop, things became clear. Our friend is fond of bees and a few of them would have tried to take a sip from the bucket and fallen in, making an attractive meal for him.

In his exuberance Sahib Bahadur, ‘Shehenshah-e-Champa’ would have darted his tongue but that would have fallen short by a few centimetres. To cover that distance and catch a juicy bee for his evening snack he must have toppled over the bucket’s edge.

Having solved the mystery, I picked up the bucket and threw the water along with ‘Sir TikTok’ towards the Champa tree, his abode. Our ‘patta bank’, the collection of dry leaves collected at one place to compost, would give him a soft landing and it did.

Once it landed, instead of running away, it waited a little while, maybe to catch his breath and loosen his muscles before he could climb to safety.

With one eye fully focussed in the reverse direction, towards where we were standing, he was definitely thanking us. His eyes expressed his thankfulness and we gave a sigh of relief.

What all emergencies can occur in a day? I wonder!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND

© ® NOEL ELLIS






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