Fleas and Me
I baked a cake as a thank-you. I delivered it and brought the carrier home. Two days later, I realized I hadn’t washed it. When I opened it, it had become a most hospitable home to millions of fleas— probably not an exaggeration. No good deed goes unpunished.
Grossed out, I took the carrier outside and hosed it off. There were still thousands flying around my kitchen. Were they the sort of flea that caused The Great Plague? I googled it — No, that was the infamous Oriental Rat Flea. Was it the kind of flea that bites doggies? My Hachi is fully flea-protected…I hope. I googled some more and my mini flying monsters are harmless.
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In my kitchen, I didn’t want to use chemicals such as a flea bomb, so I relied on hand-smushing. I learned the best approach: smothering a group with a rag. I felt minor pangs about killing any animal, but that quickly subsided. I’m aware that even clams feel no pain, so fleas —no prob.
Within three days, the thousands had dwindled to hundreds, dozens, and then there were none. I don’t take all the credit. It’s October and I guess fleas prefer balmy.
Oddly, I felt mildly disappointed — It had become a game. I wasn’t exactly grieving but….I just opened a cabinet. A flea!
I read this aloud on YouTube.
Marty Nemko is a career and personal coach and author of 36 books including Light: short-short stories on life’s brighter side. You can reach him at mnemko@gmail.com
