When I arrived in Auckland, Janet took me in. She was staying in a flat which she shared with Carina (Cari for short) from Argentina. It was a 2 room house so I took the sofa. It was my temporary accomodation until I am able to find a flat of my own. On weekdays, I would not only look for job ads but also searched for flat mate wanted adverts. On weekends, Janet and I would plot the areas, made calls and arranged viewing for flats.
My couch was comfortable. It lulled me to sleep into dreamless nights. I had the best room in the house. I had the tv, dining table, kitchen, toilet and fridge within my scope.
Freddie shared my nights. He was such a character, this Freddie. He is a vermin.He loves chicken. He can cunningly stay away from a trap. He runs wildly when the lights are on.
Then Cari decided to move out of the flat. She gave up her room for me. I moved to a single bed in a warmer room. It was a welcome change of circumstance.
Freddie must have missed me and decided to share my bed one weekend. I overslept that day and was awakened by a piercing pain on my pinky fingernail. It could not have been a dream so I had to check what it was. I came face to face with Freddie. He was shocked to see me, horrified we both were. He ran toward an exit at the tip of the blanket but bit my toenail along the way.
I was furious, scared, frantic, morbid even. Could a rat bite kill? I didn’t know what to do. My underdeveloped instinct not made for surviving got me to wash the affected area with soap, water, and vinegar. I turned on the computer and googled ‘rat bites’. Fever, rabies, antibiotics, death. Nothing was sinking in. I observed myself. I looked for signs. Redness, fever, vomiting, hallucinations. Nothing.
The days that followed was a mad girls quest to kill Freddie and get even. Bought rentokil rat poison. Had a trap set up. Green colored poison was all over the floor. A cat was on alert outside the flat.
3 days after being bitten, Freddie lie dead at the kitchen door. 10 days later another Freddie died at the toilet floor. 20 days later another Freddie died near the fridge. There were more Freddie’s to avenge.
As for me, I made a visit to a General Practitioner. I was given tetanus shots for future Freddie bites. There are no rabies in Auckland. My case was unheard of. The clinic, even my officemates, and those I have told the story to, could not believe that of all places, I would get a vermin attack. I had a unique case. I could hear people laugh in disbelief behind my back. Oh yes, people are way too polite here. I am just glad that I am amazingly well.
Blame it on the bush reserve beside the flat or the lake close by. Freddie gave me the most unforgettable welcome. I just hope the Freddie family is no where by a ten foot pole within our new rented apartment. I check underneath my blanket now.
