Snakes And Centipedes That I Encountered In My Native Village

What  i  love  about  village is  it's  abundance of  natural  life. Since  i  am  living  in  the  city now  i miss  such  spiritual connections  that  i  used  to  experience  back  in  my  village.


I used  to  see  there  lots  and  lots of  birds  around  me ,huge  lizards ( like size  of  child )  on  hills  and  in  gardens ,scorpions  ,centipedes and  snakes.

 Our  village  hills  had  foxes ,wolves and  some  other  animals  but  i  never  encountered  one personally .Though  foxes   took  our hens  few  times  when  we  were  asleep in  yard  and   hens  were  under stick  basket   near  us  instead  of coop  to avoid  heat..As  population   grew  animals on  hills moved into higher  parts  where woods thick. 

When  i  got  admission  in  school mom  would  come  along   to  drop me . School  was  across the  hill  in  next  town  situated  behind  our  village , and  we  had  to  climb hill   and  then   walk  downwards  to  catch  the road  that  led  to  school .It  can   sound  silliest  thing  to  hear  but  as  child  i  never  felt  nervous  or  frightened  with  thought  that  what  if  i  find  any  of  those animals  right  front  of  me. All  i  remember  was  overflowing  sensation and  eagerness  to  see  them .I  think  it  was  for  two  reasons ,first  i  was  (am) utterly stupid  and  second  i had illogical  fondness  f or adventures  of   village  life.

Biggest  worry for  mom  was  animals wandering  on hills. As   child ( 6 years) it  was  very  hard   in  beginning to  climb  on  rough  hilly paths  .But  i  found  this  adventure  exciting too.

When  i  got  bit  older (8 or 9 )  and  my  sister  joined  me  for  school, mom  would  sit  on  the  top of  hill  and  keep  eye  on us  until  we  get  on  road .She  would  hold  ex meanwhile  to  remain  prepare  for   possible  danger.

While  walking  on  hills,  gardens  and  fields  we  would  often  see  snakes  and  other  crawling creatures  or  rodents passing  by.So  it  became " not  so  big  deal" to   have  them  around.

I  was  first bitten  by a scorpion when we lived in our ant's house. It  was  night  time probably 8pm  .We  just had  dinner  and  were picking up  dishes  near  clay  stove in front yard.Light  of the lantern was not enough to see  crawling  creature. It bit  on  my  left  foot  thumb. That  was  like  fire flames  were moving  inside  my  leg.That  feeling  stayed  whole  night . Due to night  and  nearest  doctor  was  miles away ,mom  kept  reading holy  verses  and   prays .There was another  old lady from neighborhood  (almost 80) who  was  my  beloved  friend.
She  stayed with  me whole night while  waving  hand fan for me as it was  summer .Such  creature  appear  above  the  ground  from  June  to August  mostly. Due  to  heat  increasing  underground  they  come  out of it.
Therefore  people  get  bit  by  snakes , scorpion or centipedes during  summer  more.

In  the  same  house  one  night when  my  father  was not  home and me,mom  and my  sister were sleeping  inside  room .(Winter) We woke up  with   clanking of  utensils  in wall  cupboard,it was doorless. It  was  near  our  bed . Mom  immediately  asked  us  to  get  out  of  the room . She  grabbed  some  thick stick  and  removed  crockery   slowly. There  appeared  a  quite  big  snake  behind  crockery, almost  3  feet  long and  it  had  a  frog in  it's  mouth .Now  we  got  that  the  weird  voice along  clanking was coming  from  frog's mouth.(poor thing!) Mom  let  the  snake  go  and  disappeared  because  she  said  it  cannot  be  poisonous as it is  meat  eater.

Once i was less than ten ,when  i  went  to  gather  woods  for  stove  with  girlfriend  ,i  hit  the  bush  root stuck  in  hill  with pickaxe(smaller)  and suddenly  a huge (one feet)  centipede  seemed  to  jump  into  my  lap  as  i  was in  leaning  position. It  looked  like  a round  ball  at  first  but  when  she  swiftly  moved and  made sharp  sound  i  screamed  and ran  away to  home. 

But  who can  escape  from  destiny , another  time  i  was  bitten  by  centipede smaller one though.It  got  on  my back  between shoulders  somehow  and  nailed her  legs inside . I  suddenly  felt  that  somebody  just  hit  the sharp  tips of nails  in  my  skin.I  tried  and  touched  it and  i  could  sense  that  it  was  something  alive ,moving  and  size  of  almost   two inches.

I  tried  to  hold   her but  i  could  feel  that  it  was  stuck  in  my  back. I  ran  to  mom and  she  was  shocked  to see that  it  was  centipede .She  tried  to  pull  it  but  her legs were  not  coming  out. I  thought  it  will  be  more  and  long  lasting  pain  if  her  legs  are broken   inside .
I  grabbed  my  father 's shaving  blade, handed  it  to  mom  and  asked  her  to  dig bit  around  legs and  then  remove them .

She  did  it  hesitantly though. It  was  relief  little bit. But I felt  that  sudden  sharp  pain  in  same  place  for  many  years .Though  it  would  not lasted  longer  than hardly a minute .This  happened  when  i  was  10 or eleven  i  think and  we  had  moved  into  our  own  house .

Our  house  was  built  on  hill  and first  roof (stayed for one year then there were iron and tile roof until now)   was  made up of  sticks and  clay this is why snakes  were  often  visiting  us. We  had  no  power  for first few  months .And  there was hardly any neighborhood.Mom  would  try  to  serve  dinner right after sunset , we would stay in beds  unless it is necessary to  get on  ground .

Once   we   were having  family  chat in  front yard .It  was night around 8.  While  talking  i  got  one  of  my  leg hanging down the  bed  and trying to  sense my shoe without  seeing below.I had  lantern  near me on  bed and because  there was no bed sheet until then. Light from  lantern was   passing  through  the  bed's pattern and falling on  ground. I  could not trace my shoe  so  looked down  mindlessly .

A  snake  ( 2 feet almost)  was  passing by  right  near  my shoe.I  suddenly  pulled my leg  back  jumped  other  side of the bed and grabbed  spade .Jumped back  on bed instantly  and  put spade on passing snake immediately ,snake was very thin  but when  i  put  spade on  him, his head  immediately became double in size  and he  hissed  furiously  which shook me with fear .He  looked  straight  into my eyes and  i could not forget his look until today . I cut him into pieces which i regret now as he was just passing by not harming .Though  it was thin and poisonous  according to mom.

Once an almost five feet long snake would visit every night and took away chick from basket where hen was sitting with newly born chicks. My  brother observed his timing .He would come from above the wall  after we would sleep. My  brother and his wife were not into talking relations with us then.
He said his wife  to help him to kill snake  as it was big and hard to kill alone. She refused  as she was terrified.
My brother  came to me and inevitably asked for help . I agreed. When  snake  came  down  from wall and  entered in  coop ,one of us had to pick spade  really  quickly so other can hit him on head. Luckily  i could do so  at right time and brother killed him. He would later tease his wife that she was a born village girl still afraid of snake more than his sister.I was either afraid and this was why i helped him though  .

Once we saw snake fight in another house .Both were hanging with  ceiling and  fighting .They  were more than 5 feet . Once we witnessed snake almost ten feet long.One  evening i was reading while laying on bed.Suddenly i spotted snake moving within roof sticks .I was alone at home.So had time to observe him .I stayed still .He (one and half feet)
moved slowly  towards  some rope or wire hanging near window below.I found his movements worth watching and intriguing. When he got hold with wire which was close to window he smoothly jumped over table that was right beside window .I  was captivated by his calm wise steps :) So  i  let him move out and disappeared . I think if i get chance i would love to observe such incidents.But living in the city makes it  impossible .So  i  feel grateful that i have such rich memories atleast :) If i am right with memory i have  killed seven snakes during my village life.

Some people  believe that when a snake crosses hundred years of his life he  gain power to  turn himself into any other creature .Do  you think so ?