Shama Farag: There is a Snake in Our Backyard!

Once I was playing with my cousins in my grandma’s backyard. In the middle of the game, I found all the kids running away in different directions. I was perplexed.

“What happened?” I asked.

They said that they had found a snake. I had the urge to go and check. I saw it. I hate snakes and I fear them, but at this point, I couldn’t resist going to have a closer look. The snake was small, and it didn’t have fangs, most probably it was the kind of snake that grows in suburbs.

I had a bottle of water, and so I spilled it over its head. Then, it disappeared. Later that day, I went to my grandma and told her what had happened. She was shocked at my unprecedented bravery, then she smiled and said, “I liked how you showed up and tried to kill the snake, but attacking a snake is not a sign of bravery. It is recklessness.”

It felt like my grandma had popped my bubble. “What should I have done better? Should I leave it as it is to scare all of us away? Or should I let it stop us from playing?” I asked.

My grandma soothed my anger with a sudden big hug and she kissed me on the cheek and said,

“If you have a snake in your house, you pretend like you are bigger, you’re larger, you are here and there and everywhere. So, the snake will be disturbed, it will withhold back, and when it settles in the corner, you'll be able to trap it. Once you’re able to do that, hit it hard on the head, not on the body. Kill it. If you left a hurt snake, it will come back to avenge itself.”

I then retorted, “But that's not very kind to the snake!”

She smiled and said, “Alright. Enjoy the venom then.”

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