CHAPTER 21

 

ENGLAND

 

THE MICE







In our early days at the estate when we were bombarded with information, advice, and orders, we were instructed to set mice traps in the glass house to catch any mice who might dare to take a nibble out of Sir Duncan’s figs. We were to bait these traps with cheese and check first thing each morning to collect dead bodies and reset traps. At first I absolutely refused to have anything to do with this cruelty but I could see we were fighting a losing battle with people who like nothing better than to kill anything that dares to trespass on their property, be it moles, voles, squirrels, mice, rats, flies, wasps etc etc. John was too busy and needed my help and so I ended up with this unenviable task. Each little body I removed from a trap, I silently apologised to. 

Meanwhile the figs were ripening faster than the Lord and Lady could ever eat them or the cook could turn them into jam and I felt so guilty killing these little creatures and then having to throw the excess rotten figs along with the little bodies onto the compost heap.









One day, doing my usual early morning routine in the glasshouse I found a poor little mouse trapped by his leg in a mouse trap. He was desperately struggling to escape and had probably been doing that for most of the night. Something exploded inside me and I ran howling and screaming down the path looking for John and on finding him, sobbing uncontrollably whilst telling him my sorry tale. Poor John had to do the dirty work and put the little creature out of his misery. We were both terribly upset for the rest of the day and swore we would NEVER set another trap.

At the meeting the next day our anger gave us the courage to stand up to Sir Duncan and refuse to set anymore traps. After hearing out story Lady Felicity was moved to tears and he very grudgingly agreed that we could use a more humane method and produced an electronic sonar alarm to scare off the rodents. But not before he’d had his normal tantrum which, this time, didn’t deter us at all.

For a while the mice were safe.

While the boss was on holiday I picked every single last fig. The ripe ones went to the kitchen where I noticed they were left to mould and the green ones I threw on the compost without a second thought.

I still feel awful when I think about the 50 odd mice we killed all for the sake of those figs that weren’t even eaten.

 

Location: Bathurst, South Africa

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I'M STAYING Chapter 1

Image
      Chapter 1 ENGLAND THE ESTATE We drove slowly along the narrow and winding country road, the branches of the trees arching over the road forming a green leafy tunnel at times and then giving way to open fields with wild flowers and sheep grazing. This is the England my Father spoke about I thought and what he referred to as Home , the lush green fields and shady oak trees.   All looked so beautiful and tranquil, when suddenly, and from out of the thick hedge appeared the most imposing tall double gate and entrance I have ever seen. Jurassic Park entrance would be dwarfed in comparison. For a second I experienced a sense of doom at what was lying behind these fortress-like structures.   I had rushed over to England to accommodate my prospective new boss who was eager to meet and interview me. My interview would involve ‘a light lunch’ followed by a walk around the estate.   I arrived in the UK during an unexpected heat wave which I was ass...
Read more

THE GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER

Image
Typing this, I'm looking out of my window at the beautiful Eastern Cape bush, listening to the birds singing, looking forward to a glorious South African summer and feeling thankful that we managed t o rectify the huge mistake we made in 2014 when we left the country heading to what we thought would be a better life for us in the UK. Like so many other South Africans, we believed there was no decent future for us here and that moving to the UK was our only solution.   We took our time making this decision and even spent a month on holiday in the UK,  researching the job market and housing availability.   When we flew back to Johannesburg we sat in the  airport departure lounge waiting for our domestic transfer and made a list of pros and cons.  It seemed the pros won hands down and that this was the most sensible choice for us. We were very much mistaken though. As you read further in this blog you'll see the hardships we encountered and the difficulti...
Read more
Image
  < CONCLUSION African rain AFRICA When you have acquired a taste for the dust, And the scent of our first rain, You’re hooked for life on Africa, And you’ll not be right again. Until you can watch the setting moon And hear the jackals bark, And know they are around you Waiting in the dark.   When you long to see the elephants Or hear the coucal’s song, When the moonrise sets your blood on fire, Then you’ve been away too long. It is time to cut the traces loose, And let your heart go free, Beyond that far horizon Where your spirit yearns to be.   Africa is waiting – come! Since you have touched the open sky And learned to love the rustling grass And the wild fish eagle’s cry, You’ll always hunger for the bush; For the lion’s rasping roar, To camp at last beneath the stars And to be at peace once more.                    ...
Read more