Friday, December 19, 2008

Bats in my belfry? No, UNDER MY BED! - 20 December 2008

I am at Amma's Ashram, Amritapuri, in Kerala, India.  It's 1:08am and I just coaxed a bat out of my room! Just when I think I've seen it all...

My two roommates are from Russia.  One of them speaks English very well and the other virtually not at all. When I got home tonight, one told me that a "flying mouse" had come into the room when she was the only one there. I asked if she meant a flying squirrel, and she said "No. Mouse. With wings. Lives in caves."

Oh! A bat!

She said she screamed, opened the door, and it finally flew out. We had a great giggle over it and decided not to tell our other roommate that it particularly liked her bunk. I knew she wouldn't be able to keep that secret, and sure enough, she couldn't.  We had a great giggle over it when our other roommate came home, too. I couldn't understand the conversation, but the body language, shrieks and giggles told the tale.

We chatted until about midnight and then turned out the lights. A bit later, as I'm trying to fall asleep, I heard something rustling around near the backpacks and then over in the kitchen. I hoped it was one of my roommates rummaging around in the dark, but it sounded suspiciously bat-like. I got up, peered around in the dark without my glasses, decided that wasn't too smart, went back to my bed and grabbed my glasses, and turned on the light.  Sure enough, there was a freakin' bat in the kitchen, flopping around on the floor trying to fly!

I ran out into the open air corridor in my t-shirt and tightie whities, and asked it to leave. I'm in an ashram, outside, in my skivvies.  Not cool!  It then flew under my bed! I suspect the bright lights hurt its sensitive eyes.  I repeated my request, telling it that it just could NOT stay, and it wobbled across the floor (I don't know if it banged its head on the wall, or window bars, or what) , wobbled out the door, and flew off into the night.

I had no idea Bat Whisperer was one of my talents! Damn! One would think she'd have closed the window after the first one got in, but no. It's definitely closed now!

Earlier in the evening, I was smiling at all the bats that were playfully zinging by my head in the corridors. Foreshadowing, anyone? This is freaking hilarious. I'm not even going to consider what else could happen ...

3 comments:

  1. Great Batty Story. It is nearly 1 AM here now and I should be sleeping. Now I'll be dreaming about bats.

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  2. "Holly batshit fat man... uh, I mean.." -- D. Grayson aka Robin

    Love and hugs, Ruben

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