Creepy Crawlies

I admit, I was going to take this space to extoll the virtues of having a minor infection in a country where antibiotics are more common than candy. And they come in nice colours too. But due to current events, I find it more appropriate to dedicate this entry to the late, very great Freddie. No, I'm not referring to a long-dead popstar (although he doesn't get quite the attention he deserves) but to the spider which took up residence in my bathroom. Since I believe that all living things bigger than a plate should be named, this spider was duely baptized Frederick and for a few weeks we lived together in harmony. More or less. The sad fact however is that I cannot stand spiders, and as close as Freddie had come to my heart, I cold-heartedly planned and executed his murder. That is, I got the resident male teacher to beat him into oblivion with a broom. Sadly, on this day, not only Freddie but a bit of my self-respect died, since mentioned teacher first had to overcome his laughing fit at the sight of (I quote) "small small spida". But then, India is not anything if not a country of extremes so why am I still surprised when an insect big enough to feed a family of nine is decried as tiny?