Mouse Trap

Last night the Sisters had one of their community meetings and it lasted until quarter to nine. Around 8:30, I decided it was time for me to eat, with or without everyone else. So I was eating my spaghetti, when I heard a noise in the store room. We have had a problem with rats (the Sisters call even the smallest mouse a rat) eating any food left out and they even left two impressive holes in a plastic container. I looked around but there was no sign of the creature. So I went back to my dinner and soon after Bernadine came into the dinning room. That is when I saw the mouse run across the room into a box. I told Bernadine about the mouse and she confirmed that there was something in the box. She said she was going to kill it and that I should position myself behind her in case the rat made a break for it. I told her straight out that when it comes to killing rodents, I am a total coward. Bernadine ignored this and took off one of her flip flops, so she could kill the rat with it. When asked if she needed a broom or something, she replied that she would kill it with her leg if needed. So she shook the box and the mouse came running out. Bernadine slapped down her sandal but she missed and it ran straight for her. She jumped about a foot in the air as the rat scurried across the room under the cupboard (I made no attempt to catch it because I really am a coward). By this time, reinforcements had arrived: Ngozi got a mop, Celestina got a couple pieces of wood, Helena got a broom, and Ifeoma took off her sandal. It was quite comical watching them crowd around, looking for one small mouse. At one point the managed to scare it out of the cupboard but alas it evaded the blow from the broom and took refuge under the fridge. Try as they might, no one could find the mouse after that. So the rat lives to fight another day.

After the rat hunt, we finished our dinner and everyone went to bed. I couldn't help thinking that the mouse might want revenge for the multiple assassination attempts. Most of the Sisters sleep upstairs so it is unlikely that the rat would visit them. My room however is on the first floor and I was the one who spotted it. Fortunately, the mouse seemed content to stay in the kitchen near the food and I didn't have any visitors in the night. But last night I had a dream about ROUSes from The Princess Bride.