A Life in the Motherland flash back.

There’s something in the attic… maybe. The first day we moved into the rental I noticed in front of each bedroom the attic access cover was missing. I’ve been trying to get Gary to climb up the homemade 15 foot ladder to fix them. Yeah we haven’t seen a real ladder, but there is one made out of eucalyptus trunks, the same thing they use to build scaffolding, in the backyard. It had rags or cloths tied at the four ends and it’s about 15 feet tall. Throughout the house, the ceilings are maybe 15 feet high.

Today is Saturday, Gary’s been covering my “honey do list”, and brings the ladder in the house. One access cover slides easily back in place, but the one in front of our room seems to have disappeared. Being ever resourceful, GRM makes a cover. He pops it in place and “ta dah”, the ugly holes in the ceiling are covered. The holes are about 15-18 inches square, so it was a fairly big gaping hole. Glad to have it finally covered.

I woke up at 5am, the Muslims were calling everyone to prayer, and I just didn’t feel I could get back to sleep. Correction it’s not just a call to prayer, they actually broadcast the entire prayer service over a megaphone/loud speaker. It involves chanting and a great deal of raving. No, I couldn’t get back to sleep.

But wait, I think I hear skittering across the floor…the house has hardwood floors throughout, but maybe it’s my imagination, and after another 30 minutes I’ve forgotten about it. As I’m leaving the bedroom I happen to look up, and the attic access cover has been moved. Ohmygosh! How did that happen, what could have caused it? SomeTHING has moved the access cover, someTHING is up in the attic.

On no. I thought I heard something this morning while I was checking my emails at 5am. I just dismissed it as monkeys on the roof, or maybe ducks, or those 4 foot crane thingys. I see ducks on the roof of the other homes and the roofs all conduct noise well, when it rains it’s pretty loud. But today when we returned from running our errands Lindsey said she heard noises in the attic, a lot of noises. I assured her, monkey’s on the roof. But someTHING moved the attic access cover, someTHING is living in the attic.

I run to find Gary, because now I’m afraid to cross under it, who knows, a monkey might jump out or jump down. We have company Mesky and Endala. I get my husband’s attention and show him. Something has moved the cover, what could have done that? He looks and says, you better have Endala tell the owner to come and remove whatever is living in our attic. Oh no!!!!!!! You mean the skittering wasn’t my imagination, and the sounds Lindsey and I heard were not made by animals on the roof, but IN the attic….oh No!!!!…living in the attic…Oh NO!!

Endala, do you think that’s possible, could there be a monkey living up there? At first thought, he says, not a monkey but maybe a rat, A RAT. What??????? Is that better??? A little furry creature, that we’d have to set traps for??? But no, I haven’t seen droppings, and though I’ve only seen mice droppings I’m thinking they must be the same.

Endala grabs the homemade ladder and investigates. The cover is light weight, and Gary explains that he looked for the proper cover, couldn’t find it and fashioned his own. The next thing I hear is our friend Endala making a strangled being-attacked-noise! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I scream, Endala’s being attacked by the creature living in the attic, he’ll fall 15 feet to the hardwood floor, and maybe die. UGH!!!!!!!!!!! Gary runs to me, Mesky is laughing and Endala is looking at me like I’ve grown two heads. He was only trying to “wake up” whatever might be up there. Oh, seriously, and that’s better… I guess kinda

He doesn’t see anything, he’s flashing the “torch” around. Yeah, a torch, not a flash light, it’s that blasted British influence. It’s everywhere, and the reason my accent sounds funny to them. Anyway, Endala see’s nothing…except… the actual attic cover Gary couldn’t find. He maneuvers it into place, climbs down, and mystery solved… for now. I guess the styrofoam cover he made was moved by the wind. According to Gary, now it would take something fairly strong and intelligent to move the real cover. Yikes!! How do I feel about that…is that good news???