Having been here just over 3 months I was feeling charmed. I had seen nothing of great danger. Well apart from the storm drains which I am terrified of falling down. A break in the weather this afternoon meant a dry walk to collect the small people from school. We get there. I free Charlie from his buggy so he can go run around with his mini pals. I take a call on my mobile. After getting off the phone I see Charlie in a dusty corner of the playground shelter and go to fetch him. Hes pointing at something. A bloody spider. Now I know nothing of spiders here other than I don't bloody like them. This one however has a red stripe on its back. Now call me a fool but that to me means RED BACK. That means a bloody nasty bite that can kill although there have been no recorded deaths for some years these Aussies keep telling me. I snatch baby and strap him back in just as first Kidlet is released from his classroom. Mrs Stewart his teacher sees me looking antsy. As parents disperse I grab her arm in a pleading fashion. "Mrs Stewart I don't know anything about your wildlife but can you tell me what that is?" "Ohhh Its a bloody great red back!" she explains. "Can you stand there to make sure no one goes near whilst I fetch someone to deal with it" and off she goes.
Now I don't do spiders. In fact up until A certain Scottish friend of mine gave me some relaxation things to do I was inclined to scream and run and generally make a tit of myself. That was just with your common British house spider. Here I was faced with guarding a Bloody Aussie legend AND not letting on what I was doing. I watched it not that it did a lot but I wasn't taking my eyes off it just in case it decided to launch an attack. I even took a photo. Thank all things holy she was quickly back with a man. "you can move away now Mrs B" he chirruped. No idea if they said anything else. I was off quicker than a sprinter out of the starting blocks.
No comments:
Post a Comment