An unexpected intruder at the crack of dawn

6:30 AM, in my world an unearthly hour when the mere task of waking up and getting dressed is equivalent to scaling the Himalayas. It’s a moment when space and time cease to exist and my primary concern is to somehow, within a span of 45 mins, get dressed for work, look somewhat presentable and scramble through a half-heartedly prepared breakfast.

It was one of those regular days. I was hovering between sleep and wakefulness and monotonously laboring through my daily routine. After I had reached a state of semi-consciousness (thanks to a strong shot of caffeine) I decided to deviate from my regular meal of cereals and have a muesli bar for breakfast. I had bent down and opened the last drawer of my kitchen cabinet when a distinct scuffling noise caught my attention. My body froze and I listened with rapt attention trying to discern the source of the noise. Surely, not from inside the drawer? My first thought was that it was some kind of insect, how and when that insect had entered the bottom-most kitchen drawer was beyond me. So I opened the drawer further wanting to investigate the source of the noise, but alas what do I see! Not an insect, not even a cockroach (my archenemy), why nothing that even remotely resembled an Arthropod. But instead I was greeted by a member of the Rodentia order, a black disgusting rat!

On hindsight I wonder whether my reflexive action of slamming the drawer shut with my foot was quicker or the impulsive shriek that escaped my raspy throat. Not that it matters, but any trace of tiredness and fatigue escaped me as I processed, or rather ‘tried’ to process what had just happened. What followed was a whirlwind of frantic pacing around my apartment, a hysterical phone call back home and then an equally distressed message to my landlord.

I grabbed my car keys and bag and was about to race through the door when I came to an unexpected halt. I had to know whether it was still there…I couldn’t just leave knowing it was still trapped in the drawer. Praying to the heavens for inner strength, I steeled all the courage I could muster and gently nudged the drawer open with my foot. It was thankfully empty. As I bent down to investigate the ‘scene of the crime’ I saw a gaping hole at the back of the kitchen unit, no doubt from where the intruder had escaped and entered.

What followed was an unproductive day at work proceeded by a laborious evening of cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom, dumping the contents of the forbidden last drawer, installing an ultrasonic sensor and then for good measure placing mouse traps around the flat. Did I learn something from the entire ordeal? To be honest, I’m not sure. I would definitely classify myself as an expert on rat removal techniques, having spent most if not all of my day researching it on the Web. But that’s about it. I doubt this experience has made me more resilient to rat attacks. However, for the sake of my poor neighbors I hope I never come across one again!