Encounter with a dragonfly

One afternoon,last week, I saw a little creature, in a larger than life form. I was literally taken aback. The kind of power that tiny creature had to influence me in such a way cannot be described.

I had just reached the door of my house after visiting a bookstore, about to unlock it and in order to unlock it, was frantically searching my bag for the key, when I looked up and suddenly laid my eyes on the most gigantic dragonfly I had ever seen!

It was as long as two mini Mars bars put together. What’s more, it was comfortably seated on the door handle, thereby dashing my hopes of unlocking the door and entering the house.

I have always been afraid of bugs and insects that creep and crawl about. There I was filled with fear all because a harmless dragonfly was confronting me in this way.

I stood for what felt like hours, my mind populated with pictures of other winged insects,and my ears bombarded with the sound of their wings buzzing. I felt a chill run along the length of my spine as I began to take the trouble to clone that single dragon fly into several hundred that were about to perch on my body which for some reason had firmly stuck to the ground.

I examined the fly from top to toe for perhaps the umpteenth time. Deep inside of me I was fully aware that it couldn't bite or scratch. But then again, I imagined how its gauzy wings would feel across the smoothness of my skin. This caused me to shiver.

I had never been more paralyzed with fear in my encounters with insects. I must add that I have previously met with tarantulas, dung beetles and peppermint bugs yet none of these had me more stunned than this giant dragonfly.

I would have remained in that position for God knows what length of time if it hadn't been for my dear grandmother who suddenly opened the door from inside and greeted my smilingly.

She caught me unawares as the door suddenly flew open and there stood she all smiles to greet me. Before she could make her inquiry as to why I had been standing out so long, I barged into my house and shut the door with force increasingly horrified of the possibility that the creature may enter my house with me. Once I had finished with these stylistic maneuvers, she demanded the reasons for my strange behavior. I retorted with a one liner, my back turned away from her half-expecting to hear what she would say next.

My wise grandmother truly enlightened me that afternoon. She explained that the poor creature itself must have feared me ever so much more than I it. But this was something I had heard often enough. However, she went on throwing light on how all beings co-exist in this world and that irrespective of the gauziness of their wings, the colors on their bodies, or for that matter the flakiness of their skins, all were one and I ought to treat each one of them as my neighbors.

All insects big or small add to the beauty of this world. The least we can do for them is to provide a place to rest by letting them be wherever they wish to be even if it is the door handle of one's home.