The Last Surviving Species
As we view movies of mass destruction, the end of the world and aliens taking over the universe I can’t help but think of the true remaining species if such a catastrophe occurs. Being born and raised in the Bronx, I know all too well the vermin’s that live along side us and grow bolder and bolder as the year’s pass by.
Roaches, mice and rats no longer fear the human race and so the days when they used to scatter as soon as they saw us or the light was lit are far from over. These days, these household invaders have more courage and spunk than they did as we were growing up, and it can only mean one thing and one thing only. They know for sure they will be the last remaining if this world was to come to an end.
The reason I say this and am completely sure it’s so true is this. They no longer fear us and now only mock us when we enter a room because they know they can. For those of us who grew up in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s you can surely relate and understand where I’m coming from. These things used to run from us and now they just sit there staring at us as if we were the invaders, and they have every right to be here.
Case in point, I once moved in with my sister for what turned into a brief two weeks because of a fight I had with my mom at age eighteen. Needless to say that move only lasted two weeks when I came to the realization that my sister’s house was infested with not only roaches, but rodents too. The kitchen light couldn’t be turned off for fear of coming into a swarm of roaches if you did, or finding a mouse making a tunnel into the loaf of bread.
At first I tried to ignore it but of course we all have our limits and mine came all too quickly when I spotted a mouse running across the room as I was watching a movie and watched as it ran under the couch I was sitting on. “Well okay,” I remember saying as again I tried to ignore it. The funny thing about this is I thought I was safe until a few minutes later when I felt a little tug at my sock as I sat there with my legs crossed on top of the couch. Once I nudged my foot a bit I realized that tug was nothing but that mouse that had recently crawled under the couch and hurriedly climbed up the small hole he had already created underneath the couch I was sitting on.
Seconds after I moved my foot away this mouse ran across the room again and disappeared into the kitchen as I stood frozen in place, totally surprised and extremely bewildered. The following day I called my mom and begged to come back home, at least there I knew I wouldn’t wake up to a rodent on the side of my pillow and that whole ordeal of him nudging on my sock will not be an issue.
As I discussed this topic with a few friends I came to the realization that I wasn’t the only one that felt this way. They each had their own little story to share as well and I just couldn’t help but add it just to emphasize my point. They no longer fear us. They simply live among us and basically couldn’t care less for the human race.
One friend in particular had the best story ever. She and a male friend were having a nice casual evening at home, watching TV as they sat on the sofa when a mouse came out from underneath the wall unit, stood in the middle of the floor and stared at them as they both looked down at it. My friend said she was not only embarrassed but humiliated as this was this guy’s first time visiting her place. The mouse then scurried under the sofa they were sitting on and the guy just smiled at her and they continued to watch the movie.
Soon after she glanced over at her male friend and noticed a grey shadow directly behind him. To her astonishment this mouse crawled up the side of the sofa and was now sitting directly behind her friend. The thing looked over at her and completely made himself comfortable as if he was invited to watch the movie too. She now had to think fast before this guy noticed the intruder now sitting behind him, so she asked if he wanted to step outside for a cigarette and quickly grabbed his hand. The mouse was still perched on the edge of the sofa when she turned back, staring directly at her and she could swear she even saw it smiling at her in victory.
Yes, we now know and believe they will be the last remaining species, and the same goes for the roach population as they too have no worries and couldn’t care less when we walked in a room, they just dodge us, move over and continue on their quest for World Domination…
Copyright © 2009
By: Alma Gonzalez
