“You don’t need to be afraid of a spider,” I mentally counselled myself as I kept a sharp eye on the unwelcome guest that made itself at home on the wall near the entrance to the bathroom in my hostel room.
“Why me?” I moaned.
“Girl, look at the size of that spider and look at you,” I heard the rational voice of my mom enter my internal monologue.
I had just returned from a day of jungle adventure, including a heart-pumping climb up to El Mirador overlooking Semuc Champey in the Guatemalan rainforest.
The views were spectacular and I’d had a great day. But I was tired. I did not need this stress. I only wanted a shower, food and my bed. But this squatting spider stood between me and the bathroom.
I eyed keyring that held my room key. The hostel’s emergency number was printed on it. This was an emergency… wasn’t it?
Pause. Let’s rewind.
Spider Encounter #1
When I had arrived at the hostel the night before, there was a spider in the bathroom and I wasted no time calling the emergency number on the key. A friendly worker – Marvin- came to my rescue and removed the spider from the room, laughing at how terrified I appeared by such a small (I did not share his opinion on size) spider.
“You should have seen the spider in the restaurant this afternoon! It was huge!” he beamed proudly as I silently whispered a prayer of thanks to God that I had missed that bit of excitement.
I thanked Marvin profusely and he gave me his cell number in case I needed him to come to the rescue again.
I sincerely hoped I wouldn’t.
Okay… back to the Spider encounter #2
Before I returned to my room after Semuc Champey, I stopped at the hostel’s restaurant to order nachos. Marvin took the order and promised room service delivery in 20 minutes.
His impending arrival gave me the confidence to don my big girl knickers. “I’d just get Marvin to get rid of it when he comes with my nachos,” I thought bravely as I worked up the courage to walk sideways into the bathroom, never taking my eye off the spider.
20 minutes later
I hopped out of the shower… and checked on the spider.
It wasn’t there.
I looked along the walls. No spider.
I checked behind the bed. It wasn’t there either.
Where could it have gone in such a short time?
Knock, knock, knock...
Marvin dropped off the nachos and left.
I couldn’t ask him to kill the spider because… well where was the spider? Sigh. Just my luck!
I closed the door behind him and walked over to the bed, still keeping an eye out for the spider-at-large. Omg… there he was… on the wall on the other side of the room.
Once again, I eyed the emergency number on the key. I called Marvin and he promised to check me in five minutes.
He took twenty.
Guess what? Once again, I couldn’t find the spider. Not willing to let this opportunity pass me by, I suggested Marvin check under the fan.
Yes! Found him. Marvin killed the spider and left, leaving the corpse behind.
Why me? Oh well, at least it was dead…
Less than 30 minutes later
As I settled into bed, I threw my eyes in the direction of the spider. It was not there! My mind raced.
Somehow the spider must have survived the crushing blow to the head. But how? What if it wanted revenge? I wasn’t going to be able to fall asleep with a vengeance-seeking spider somewhere in my room.
Sigh. It’s going to be a long night. I scanned the room in a panic. Found it!
The spider – very much dead – was moving along the floor, near the wall.
His body was being carried by an army of ants! Where did these ants come from and how did they get here so quickly? Mr Spidey hadn’t even been dead 30 minutes yet.
Damn, those ants were quick… or really hungry. I was fascinated. Where were they taking him?
I watch as the army made its way across the room… then up the door frame… and into a small hole in the door frame. I wasn’t even sure how they got the spider’s body to fit into that tiny hole. It was incredible to witness this act of nature.
Briefly, the thought of dying in my sleep and my corpse being carted off by an army of ants for lunch the next day flickered through my mind.
I scolded myself for being silly, switch off the lights and prayed that I’d live to see another day, as I drifted off to sleep.
The End.