A visitor in the night

Had a terrifying moment the other morning. Spent the rest of the morning exhausted from the adrenalin rush.

A spider had taken up residence in the bathroom washhand basin. Not just any ordinary spider. An enormous spider, a black spider, with a huge body, inch long, hairy legs and a menacing air. He certainly hadn't had a wax recently, maybe that's what he was looking for...

I squealed and stood staring, frozen to the spot, unable to tear my eyes from it's rigid form. There was no way it was going to flush down the drain, if I turned on the tap, (problem in itself, it might jump up!) it would get out it's loofa and a bar of soap!

Now what.

I went downstairs to clean my teeth.

The boys appeared and squealed, but with delight at the elephantine arachnid. "Don't touch it boys, I'll get a man to get it out," says mum. At 6.45am? Yeah, right.
"It's ok mum, I'm a man," says 9 year old son. Bless!
"I'll catch it in my Bionicle's box and let it out outside."
"Don't you dare drop it!" says slightly alarmed mum, as she disappears into bedroom and barracades door. It could push it open let alone squeeze underneath!


This is the woman who managed to get a wastepaper bin over a spider in the hall at my parents house once, while they were on holiday. I weighted it down with an Oxford English Dictionary and a Roget's Thesaurus, just to be sure. It was still there when they returned, a week later. Alive. I was so glad I put the books on top, you can never be sure...

He did it, my little knight in shining armour, even stood and watched it run away so that he could tell me it didn't come back into the house.

I just hope he doesn't go and tell his big brother.