SEEKING REFUGE, FINDING DEATH

I went to teach a class today. Crazy Summer weather freaks me out. It was cloudy all morning, so when I showered and went out I dressed with a sweater. As soon as I got out the sun decided it was a good idea and it also came out. I was melting.

I was about to finish the class when the wind did that thing of turning the weathercock with a cold gush of ...er...wind...and then the rain! Yes. It started raining, just in time to soak me. No, it didn't rain all morning while I was in bed watching "Heroes", it didn't rain while I was in teaching. It is not raining now I'm in my flat writting this. No, it had to rain just when I was about to leave. Cool!

But, as I teach a doctor, we were at the front door of the hospital waiting for the rain to soften a bit, with his assitant, and another lady. The doctor had his car parked in front so he decided to take a quick leap and soon he said good-bye.

We, girls, decided to stay a little longer. I caught glimpse of what I though was a dry bugambilia flower being pushed by the wind very slowly. My companions saw it too and asked what it was. We went to have a closer look.

On the other side of the glass door there was something we couldn't define. "It's a spider!" "No, it looks more like an ...ant? But a huge one!" "NO", said the other lady. "It's a Jerusalem cricket!"

Yes, it was a huge, amber coloured, and ant-looking Jerusalem cricket walking under the door to take shelter from the rain. I was fascinated by its crawling movements, how it instinctively was looking for a dry place, not bothering anyone at all. But the older woman started asking for the cleaner to do something. Another man, quite gentlemanly, came to the rescue, and a bit scared, he struck the insect with a plastic waste basket. Of course it was not enough. The big crawler resisted and moved away, but the small man struck again, and again until a white liquid came out from the creature. Finally it lay there, dead.

What changed? Nothing. We were still in the same condition. The rain was not pouring as heavily, but certainly not because of the sacrifice. I decided to leave. If taking shelter meant I'd soon be dead, I'd rather venture into the rain. Soon after, I heard the assistant's voice inviting me to share her umbrella under the rain.

I don't like creepy-crawlers, but I am certainly against murder.