Once Upon a Roach

I rushed into Aime's compound and slammed the gate so hard behind me, I thought it would fall and take the fence down with it. The huge rottweiler which overpowered its owner and chased me down the block, was now at the other side of the gate, barking like it had a score to settle with me. I bent forward, my hands on my knees, and tried to relax. As I ran for my dear life, I had actually wondered if that was the end. If I was going to be torn to bits by someone else's ‘cuddly wuddly’. As I straightened up, I heard someone walk briskly towards the gate.

“Hey little one. Why did you have to scare me like that?”

Ugh, grow up, man.

“Who's a cute little pup? You are. Who's a —”

Feeling protected by the gate, I warned the owner.

“Hey man if you're gonna walk a dog, work out, maybe?”

“Your dog almost—”

Woof! Woof!! 

I was gone faster than a bullet.

As I sat on Aime's bed eating a piece of cake and telling her about my close shave with death – well, sort of– She was laughed and tears ran down her cheeks. She came over and sat beside me on the bed. Ruffling the top of my hair, she said,

“Oh Lisa, you're such a scaredy cat. Anyway, I'm glad you're alive.” she chuckled.

“Thanks!” I grinned.

She looked pale. She had bags under her eyes and her lips had a bluish tinge.

“How do you feel today, Aime?”

She stood and walked towards the window, her long, blue, silk nightgown billowing around her. 

Standing there with the sunlight streaming in all around her whitish blonde hair, she looked surreal. 

“Well, I guess I'm alright, Lisa.”

“What is the problem? You can talk to me, you know that.”

“I'm just tired, that's all. A little more time indoors and I'll be as good as new.”

“You're tired? What did you do? Aime, you don't even do chores. What could get you this tired?”

“Maybe I exhausted myself mentally.”

“Aime, you're sick. You look like you've got a virus or something. I just have to be real with you. We both know identifying a problem is the first step in solving it.”

She looked back, her lower lip trembling. “Don't say that.”

I kept quiet and picked up a book to read until she was ready to talk.

“Can I show you something?”

“Sure.” 

She drew a stool to her wardrobe and climbed on it.

“Hey, be careful!”

“Quiet, Lisa!”

I just looked on.

She retrieved a jar from the top of her wardrobe. As she came down, I could see a tiny, dark figure moving around inside it. 

What could Aime be doing this time?

She sat on the floor and I did the same. She placed the jar between us and I leaned in to get a better look.

“What do you think, Lisa?” she asked, beaming.

“That's a cockroach.”

“This is Blat, my new pet.”

“That's a roach, Aime, not– wait! How do you feed this thing?”

She lowered her eyes.

“How?!”

“I place him on my food and let him have as much as he wants.”

The insect stood still. Maybe it thought if it was still enough, Aime would think it died and let it go. Not a chance. 

“Ugh! Aime, you creep, you've been eating contaminated food!”

She covered her face with her hands.

“Let it go!”

“Lisa, I can't–”

“I'll tell your parents.”

I stood up and made for the door. 

“Wait! I'm sorry I put myself in danger. I just thought it'd be cute to eat together. I promise I won't do that again, just don't tell on me!”

“Throw that cockroach away before you hurt yourself.”

“Lisa, you can't tell me how to live my life. You can choose to accept my new pet or stay away from it. But don't tell me what to do with it.”

Oh, Aime. I sighed.

“I'll go talk to your parents. You need more specific treatment.”

“If you're really my friend, you won't tell them about Blat.”

I looked from her to the roach, shook my head and walked out of the room.

Some moments later, her mum was in the room.

“She has a cockroach for a pet, Mrs Williams, and it's been contaminating her food. She needs to see a doctor.”

“Thank you, dear. Je t'aime Charlotte Williams, get that vermin out of my house!”

Aime took the jar outside and came back in without it. She gave me a dirty look and flopped on the bed like a six year old. 

Mrs Williams looked at me again with genuine gratitude in her eyes. I smiled and nodded. 

“I'll be leaving now. Bye Aime.”

“Bye, rat.” she hissed.

             * * * * *

“Catch him, Lisa! Look, he's coming straight at you!”

I looked around nervously and stepped out of the way for ‘him’. Blat ran under the wardrobe. She glared and me in question and I shrugged.

“One, you should have expected that from a cockroach. Two, you don't expect me to touch Blat, do you?”

“Then why do you visit me? Why do you even bother?”

“Hello oo,” I pretended to knock on her head. “I'm your friend. And no matter how much I can't stand roaches, I'll bear this one for you. Just don't expect me to get touchy with it.”

“Help me move this thing, Lisa.”

We hefted the huge wardrobe out of the way and saw Blat pressed against the wall. How did I know it was Blat and not some other random roach? Aime marked this particular roach with pink, white and blue nail polish. 

She made to flip it into the jar using a ruler but it began running towards me. Pets sure loved me. I moved as far away from it as I could.

“Why won't you catch him,Lisa?” Aime cried. 

She ran towards it as I mumbled under my breath.

“Only if you'll let me use a shoe.”

             * * * * * 

Monday afternoon Aime took Blat to school. While the Math teacher talked, she opened the jar. She said he needed fresh air, just like people do. 

Blat's hairy stick legs didn't touch the desk before it spread its mighty wings and moved its repulsive self all over the class. 

I saw Trent point at it and whisper something to the boy next to him. They both looked at it and shrugged. Soon, when Blat chose to pay them a visit, they didn't dare dismiss him with shrugs. They panicked and brought everyone else to attention. 

Some people went under their desks and covered their heads with notebooks, while some others simply picked their bags and ran out of the classroom– as far as they were concerned, school was closed. 

For some strange reason, Blat returned to Aime's desk after wreaking havoc on the whole class. Maybe I was wrong, maybe they really were capable of being pets. With an impish smile, she scooped him into the jar, closed it and took my hand.

“Let's go!”

Aime was scolded in school on Tuesday for bringing a roach and releasing it in class. She said she'd been asked if she brought it to school that day and she was glad she hadn't. 

On Thursday afternoon, I dropped by at Aime's. She hadn't come to school on Wednesday and I was worried she had been dining with Blat the roach again. 

Inside, I met her parents at the sitting room. They were tense. 

“Did you know she still had the roach?”

I looked down.

“Well, did you?” Mrs Williams asked again a little louder.

Her husband put a hand on her shoulder. 

“Honey, it's not her fault. She told you about the cockroach in the first place, against Je t'aime's will, didn't she?”

“But, she could have told me Aime didn't get rid of that–”

“Hold it right there, Belle! If you're going to accuse this little girl for what's befallen our daughter for her own stubbornness, then don't leave yourself out. She lives under our roof, this was going on right under our noses and we weren't of any help!”

“Now, stop hassling her so we can find out if she can help our daughter.”

“What happened to Aime?”

“Go find out, Lisa. She's in her room.” Mr Williams said. 

The first thing that caught my attention when I entered Aime's room was the open jar on her dresser. Blat's home was empty. Had it escaped and left her mourning? If that was the case then there was really nothing to worry about. There were plenty of cockroaches in the sewer. 

I looked around the room and my eyes soon fell on Aime huddled on the ground beside her bed. I came close and saw her crying. She'd mumble a few words and retch. She didn't seem to notice that I was there. 

“What happened to you, Aime?” I sank down and gathered her in my arms. 

“What happened? Blat's gone? His jar is open, Aime.”

Holding her close I could hear her mumbling. 

“Blat, you bad boy. Come out now!” she retched.

“Aime!” I screamed at her.

She looked at me then and seemed to recognize me.

“Lisa. Oh, Lisa. You're here.” she said weakly.

“Where's Blat, Aime?”

“Why, he's inside me. He crawled into my mouth this morning while I slept.”

“What?!” That darned roach had bitten off more than it could chew. I had the mind to squash him myself.

“Well, did you get him out?” 

“I tried to but he struggled on! He's inside my belly now!” She burst into tears. 

“He was so strong. I could feel his rough legs clawing their way down my throat. I felt him land in my stomach. Against my own will!”

She wrapped her arms around her middle and cried some more. 

I imagined laying my palm on her belly and feeling it vibrate with Blat's effort. I shuddered and shook my head. 

“It's alright, Aime. It's gone now.”

“He's been running around inside me! He won't leave me alone, I don't know why!” 

That wasn't even possible.

“Aime, your stomach acids have already killed Blat by now. Why are you worrying?”

“You don't get it, do you?” she gripped my shoulders and looked into my eyes. 

“I can feel him moving around in my belly. He haunts me day and night.”

So, it turned out Blat the roach really wanted somewhere warm and wet to live. The snake.

I spoke as I brought out a jar similar to the one she had kept Blat in from my bag,

“That means you don't want this?”

She looked up, saw the cockroach I had gotten from my brother and screamed the most piercing scream I had ever heard.

I was in trouble with Mrs Williams now for sure.