| | So about 5:30 this morning something woke me up. I didn't know what it was, but it sounded like someone was in the room with me. At first I thought it was just rain on the roof (I sleep right under the roof so rain can be pretty loud). The noise continued, though. It sounded like someone was in my chair rustling through papers. My groggy mind suggested that maybe one of the little kids couldn't sleep and had come up to my room. Then my picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help crashed down off my shelf. I turned on the light. There was no small child. Instead there was ... (isn't the suspense killing you?) ... A BAT!!!!
It had been trying to find a place to roost on my shelf (hence the noises and the ousting of Mary), but surprised by the light, it was flying back and forth across my room. For a little bit I thought it was a bird that had gotten trapped in the house, but then I got a better look at it. Definitely a bat. I didn't know what to do, and I really didn't want to get up and chase after it just then. It kept diving into dark corners to try and hide. I said a prayer to Jesus & St. Francis of Assisi that I would know what to do. The thought ocurred to me that it probably just wanted a place to sleep before dawn came, and if I turned out my light it would find a nice place and settle down, and both of us could get back to sleep. In the morning I could catch it easily since it would be asleep, release it outside where it really belongs, and all would be well. So I turned out the light, and sure enough it settled down, and both of us went back to sleep.
Only this morning when I woke up for real (late, of course) IT WASN"T THERE! For a minute I thought I'd dreamed it all, but Our Lady was still face down on my window seat instead of on the shelf where she belongs. I looked a little for it (not much, cuz I didn't have time on account of the oversleeping), but I couldn't find it. So I have a bat in my room somewhere. Tonight I'm actually staying home most of the night. Hopefully when it gets dark it'll come out of hiding, and I can catch it in a pillowcase (I'm told that's the preferred method of catching bats which are trapped indoors) and get it out of my vicinity. At least I hope so. Sigh. I so much wish it had found its way into someone else's room! |
