musingsjoy: The Spider & The Stormtroopers - living a wildlife in Seattle

The Spider & The Stormtroopers

The Spider lived a peaceful life in the bathroom. Its eight long slender legs were perfect limbs to make nimble excursions across the ceiling and walls any time of the day or night, as he pleased. It was a good life. Until the little Stormtroopers crashed in!

Actually, it was my husband and I who first disturbed the Spider's peace. We arrived from India and claimed the Spider's bathroom, which was attached to our room located on the lower portion of the two-storey house. Initially each time one of us turned on the bathroom light the startled Spider would scurry across the wall or ceiling or both, trying to find a dark corner to hide. I would look on nervously hoping he would not crash land on me.

However, after a couple of days the Spider and us, we realized neither intended the other any harm. We learnt to live in harmony. As soon as I entered the bathroom I would look for the Spider and spotting him in one of the corners on the ceiling, greet him silently. In a return gesture of camaraderie he would stay put in one of his corners or do a relaxed amble across the ceiling signaling "it's cool". Until one evening............

……. when the first little Stormtrooper arrived - Nirav, our toddler grandson.

It was early evening when Nirav came into the house through the garage door, right across from the Spider bathroom. Seeing the bathroom door wide open he walked in, or rather, stormed in. And immediately went full throttle picking up every single item on the sink counter top - toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, talcum powder, lotions, ointments..... to examine and then toss away without a care. Before he could cross the line of control, I had to do something.... FAST.

"NIRAV, look there's a spider!" He stopped, abandoned his casual destruction, and turned around to look where I was pointing. Eyes wide open now, "Paati, BiiiiiG spider there." As we both looked at the Spider there was a pause, a lull..........

…….and that is when the second, bigger Stormtrooper arrived - Pavy, our nearly-five-year-old grandson and Nirav's older brother.

"Where's the Spider, Paati?" He came into the bathroom demanding. One look and, "it has thin legs" he pronounced. "It won't sting" he informed us. And proceeded to explain in detail everything the Spider could or could not do. Right through Pavy's informative talk Nirav kept up his high decibel, "Look Spider..... Hiiiii Spider......Spider sleeping....etc etc." By then Loony and Shelby, our curious grandpets, were also in the bathroom. The Spider, I must say, admirably stood his ground - or corner, to be precise - through the burgeoning bathroom mob and mayhem.

Over the next month and a half this scene was repeated albeit with a few adaptations. It mostly begins with the Stormtroopers ambushing us in our room (next to the Spider bathroom remember?). Nirav goes straight to the far side, picks up Thatha's bedside daily vitals brought from India - bottle of Vicks vaporub, Vicks nose inhaler, eye drops, eye mask, spectacle case, book...... One by one he throws them behind the cot a delighted "ha" accompanying each throw. Pavy laughs but does not join Nirav. Afterall he, as a toddler, invented the "throw behind the cot" manoeuvre. He now seeks a higher plane.... on our bed.

He begins jumping on the bed. Nirav joins him with a squeal. Thatha and I are beaming as we watch them. Our daughter - their mom – reminded me that jumping on the bed used to be an absolute NO on my mom rule book when she was a kid. So how come it is ok now? What can I say? They are.... well.......my grandkids🥰

In a few minutes the jumping gets more vigorous and progresses to rolling to the edge dangerously. Then Pavy begins a campaign for 'Thatha Cookie' – aka ParleG biscuit. Pavy knows Thatha stashes them away in his room. Nirav supports the campaign loudly. Of course they get the cookie. But they must eat them on the bed (another of Paati's mom rules shattered) because Loony and Shelby (of course they are in our room too) are sitting on the carpet waiting for an opening to get the cookies. Soon the troopers are ready to wrap up the action here.

Guess where they strike next?

Nirav pushes open the bathroom door. An exuberant greeting follows, "Hiiii Spider! Look Paati, BiiiiiG Spider"! Pavy has a question. "Paati, where's the Spider's web?" Good question - we have not seen any in all these weeks. But then why would the Spider? Spin a web that is. All that effort, why? when as the one-Spider occupation army he has exclusive rights to a property with four corner options. But then without the traditional web to trap his food how does he eat? My guess - the Spider probably has his own hidden web network. Maybe he uses that to order self-delivering bug-meals.

It is almost seven weeks and he is still here. Up in his corner(s) the Spider maintains a dignified distance. But I suspect he now secretly enjoys all the attention and fun.