R.I.P.

The incident was horrible. Neither of us saw it coming. It all began with the simple task of taking out the trash. Our small rubbish bin had reached its capacity and I took it upon myself to tie up the bag of odiferous fruit waste, walk it out to the gate, and plop it into the iron container the locals use here for neighborhood refuse collection.

It was on the trip back to the house that it happened. It was dark out with the exception of the light from the front room shining through the open door. I made long brisk strides from the gate to the porch, with my mind on the chance encounter with sinister boogiemen hidden in the blackness.

With the first step onto the cement patio, I heard the familiar crunch of a pinecone. Almost simultaneously, there was a croak, not especially loud or angry, but rather of mild and belated surprise. It was too late by the time I’d registered: There aren’t any pinecones in Thailand…

I looked over my shoulder as I continued forward away from the criminals in the shadows. At just a glimpse I was instantly aware of what had happened. I shrieked and shuddered all the way through the entrance, down the hall and to Nadine’s room. I squashed a toad! I maimed a frog! I heard it crunch under my shoe! I think it’s still alive. I heard it crunch! I heard it CRUNCH!

The full weight of my body had already born down upon him, concentrated in the space of my right wooden platform sandal. From the corner of my eye, I had seen an unsymmetrical dark lumpy shape and an outstretched leg.

I’ve blocked out the rest. Of course it was dark out, and the unlucky spot was at the edge of the porch, the edge of the light--

I couldn’t look again. My lovely housemate came out to inspect the situation. I waited in the lit front room as Nadine evaluated: It’s not so bad… She made sure there weren’t any amphibian parts stuck to the bottom of my sandals. I heard a splat outside. And that’s all I needed to hear.

That poor toad and I shared an enormous shock. I would aim to bet that our heart rates jumped about the same degree in the same instant. The difference of course, is that mine stayed up, whereas his… didn’t.

~in honor of The Toad, whose life was cut short~
May 11, 2008