Scoliodentosaurophobia!

"AARGH!!!" My early morning slumber is disturbed by my mom screaming on top of her lungs. As I race towards the kitchen, I can't shake the feeling that aliens have landed on earth, or worse. I see my mom cringing with fear. I look frantically for the alien. My mom thanks me as her saviour for coming to her rescue. I still find nothing out of the ordinary. I turn to look at my mother who is pointing at the wall and has an expression on her face that would suit a 5 year old caught by the teacher for not doing homework. Ah, culprit found!!! Its the friendly, neighbourhood lizard!!!

The poor lizard seems utterly perplexed as to why my mother was yelling so loudly. Feeling odd at the sight of a guy with his hand poised as though about to hit someone and the facial expression of a 5 year old who wet his bed, the tiny guy quitely recedes to his quite abode behind the fridge. The perfect morning kick-starter! My mom quitely turns her attention back to the simmering stove. I glare at her and she responds with an equally strong cup of coffee and a sheepish grin (like the one we usually wear when caught red-handed). The following is a small excert from the conversation we had:

Me: Yennathukku ippadi kathuringa?

Mom: Coffee la sugar correct a irukka paaru.

(Mind Voice: Naan pesurathu ketkavae illaya???)

Me: Oru lizard a paathu yen ippadi bayapaduringa?

Mom: Innaikku tiffin dosai.

(Mind Voice: Ippa kooda naan pesurathu ketkalaiya???)

Me: Aiyo Rama! Yen da yenna intha maathiri kazhisada pasangaloda kootu sekkura?

I trudge wearily back to the living room, still half-asleep. To my suprise, I find my dad still snoring amidst all the ruckus, on his bed. I try to pull myself back to slumberland. No avail. Too much adrenaline, I guess. Stiffling a yawn, I glanced up at the clock. 6A.M. "What the heck am I doing at such an unearthly hour reserved only for mothers and half-asleep students preparing for the board exams?" I go back to the kitchen to return my cup only to find the tiny little critter peeping out of his secluded spot. My mom goes off to wake my brother to perform his early morning ritual of sleeping while holding a book, oblivious to the presence of the small fella. I sorta felt sympathetic for him. My house is not a palace, but its big enough to comfortably accomodate 7-8 people. Why cant he take a very tiny space on the wall??? The poor fellow looks at me with a puzzled expression. Suddenly, as though remembering that I was his would-be attacker, he retreats back to his own private space. As I walked back to my bed to catch 40 winks again, I just cant help but think how any person would feel if in the place of the poor creature.

I just cannot comprehend why many people fear such ordinary household creatures. The most a lizard can do is fall to the floor and scamper away in search of a good hiding place. Its not gonna turn into a vampire and drink our blood! For heavens sake people, please do allow such creatures to thrive. After all, even they must have some purpose for life!!!

-Sujai Edwin Moses

(P.S: If you are still wondering about the title, it means "Fear of lizards"! Google it.)