Biography 121: Roaches 2

 Our 4 sisters used to sleep in a big bed. My mom inherited it from our grandfather (Paternal). Now a day she sleeps on that.

On a winter night, I fall asleep a little earlier than others. I was inside the mosquito net. After a while, my other 3 sisters came inside the net to sleep. Maybe during that moment or earlier a cockroach somehow got inside the net. Within the next few seconds lots of things happened like a tornado, let me try to take you over there in slow motion.

First, my older sister screamed like death and then open the net and run away. Maybe out from the room. I couldn't see that because I was under the cotton-made blanket (In Bangla we called it Lep).

Next, my immediate two younger sisters saw the cockroach and screamed and jumped on my blanket, when I was inside. They knew that very well, that I was sleeping there. But I was their only hope to get rescued.

Third, in my sleep, I suddenly felt two big mountains fall on me and lots of screaming happening around me. Now, if you think, that's it. No, my dear, that's just the starting.

Next, these two girls, well they were not a kid, they had enough weight to kill me, keep jumping on me and every time they jumps, they were screaming, "Mejo! telapoka (Second sis, a cockroach)!!". There was no way that I could push them aside and remove the blanket and get up.

I tried to get loud as possible below the blanket and kept saying, "first move from here and let me out!" But I was inside the blanket and they were not in a mood to listen to anything from me they kept jumping and screaming.

Finally, after trying several times, I pushed one and kicked the other to move from the blanket and was somehow able to get me out from the blanket. They saw my head out from the blanket, they pointed to the other side of the mosquito net and showed me a cockroach.

I guess the cockroach also got astonished after watching their jumping and screaming. That's why it couldn't run away and standstill.

I couldn't decide to whom should I get angry, to these sisters or to the cockroach.

Biography 120: Roaches 1

In Bangladesh, cockroaches are a little bigger in size. About 2 inches long. In summer when we keep all windows open sometimes at night they fly into our houses. If people can kill it, hit by a sandel mainly. It dies, and no more cockroaches. I mean if you keep your house clean there won't be any cockroaches.

There is some other kind of cockroaches too. These are small, brownish, about half-inch long in size. Someone told me these are Russian cockroaches. If it comes once, never left.

Again, these are not very common in our country. And if you can clean it properly, somehow can get rid of it.

Among our 4 sisters, I am the only one who is brave enough to kill cockroaches. It's not that I like it or don't scared of it, especially when they try to sit on you, but I know if I want to get rid of it, I have to kill it. Otherwise, it will keep flying in the house and sit on food.

My other sisters scare too much. They scream and run away. My older sister jumps first to get out of it from her body then run. One day she was eating her meal on her bed, suddenly someone told, " Boropa, Tela poka (big sis, a cockroach)!". It wasn't on her body but my sister didn't take any risk. She jumped, all her rice fall on the bed and then she run. Finally, she looked back if there were any cockroaches or not. Anyway, the cockroach was somewhere else. She is still like that.

আমার আর নড়ার উপায় ছিল না (I couldn't move)

[English version has given below]

আমাদের বাসায়, আমি বাদে, বাকি 4 ভাই বোনের সবার মধ্যেই  ভয়াবহ তেলাপোকা ভীতি আছে। তেলাপোকা উড়ে আসলে, সব চিৎকার করে ছুটে পালায়।

তখন হয়তো কলেজে পড়ি। আমরা 3 বোন একসাথে দাদার বিশাল খাটে ঘুমাতাম। একদিন মশারী টানিয়ে শুয়েছি , হয়তো চোখটা মাত্র লেগেছে (তখন শীতকাল চলছিল), সোনিয়াও শুয়ে পড়েছিল, শেখা মাত্র ঢুকেছে মশারীর ভিতর। এমন সময় শেখা হঠাৎ দেখল মশারীর ভিতর তেলাপোকা। ওমনি মেজপা!! (আমাকে এই নামেই) বলে চিৎকার করে একলাফে আমার লেপের উপর, লেপের নিচে ছিলাম আমি। সোনিয়া চিৎকার শুনে সেও আরেক লাফে আমার লেপের  উপর উঠে গেল। তারপর শুরু করল 2 জনে মিলে চিৎকার, "মেজপা মেজপা, তেলাপোকা, মারো, মেজপা মেজপা"। এদিকে আমি তো নড়তে পারছিনা। লেপের ভিতর থেকে বলছি, "আগে তো সড়ো আমার উপর থেকে, আমি তো বের হতেপারছিনা"। কে শোনে কার কথা....2/3 মিনিট পর ওদের কিছুটা হুস হলো, আমার উপর থেকে সরে, এক দৌড়ে মশারি থেকে বের হয়ে গেল। আর আমি উঠে বসে নিশ্বাস নিলাম....

[১৭ ই জুন, ২০০৬]

AT home, except me, my other 4 bro and sisters afraid of cockroaches. If they found one cockroach is flying, then will scream and run away...

On those days I was in college. We 3 sisters use to sleep together on our old styled big bed (got it from our grandfather). One day I setup the mosquito net and fall in sleep with my blanket (winter was going on). Sonia (my younger sister) also fall in sleep. On that moment, my youngest sister Shekha saw a cockroach. Immediately she screamed very loudly, "Mejopa (they called me with this name, means 2nd sister)!" and jump on my blanket (I was sleeping below). Sonia heard that shout, she also gave another jump and came on my blanket. Then both started screaming, "Mejopa, mejopa, cockroach, kill it, mejopa mejopa!".

Here you can understand my position, I can't move because of them. I was saying, "First get up from my body, I can't come out". But they are not in a position to listen to me. After 2/3 minutes they calm down a bit and give a quick run from me to go out from the mosquito net. Finally I could sit down and took a long breath...