The ants had appeared slowly, gradually – ten, twenty, fifty, hundred, thousand……….. They invaded her table, bed, cupboards, window sills, practically the whole of her room. They had the discretion to make it appear s if they were not there at all. But if she picked up some book from her table-there they were, lazily crawling underneath. They lurked silently, peacefully, below the bed sheet, in the crevices between shiny wooden planks-marching single file through the grilles of the window.
She had everything to destroy them-disinfectants, moth balls, kerosene. She even tried to find out where they originated from-hoping to squash the origin, instead of squashing them. But……she had to admit defeat.
When her brain cells were too tired to fight, she accepted their presence, slowly, gradually. Fighting had mad her weak-mind and body. She now preferred truce-she who used to boast in her youth that she always preferred to fight it out “ I never compromise” She re-heard her young image flaunt her trust in a transient state of self self sufficiency. She had later learned to sigh; and further later not to sigh. So, without sighing she thought that she was no longer younger. And she accepted the ants.
The ants were well-behaved. They never fought with her. They would go about their business in a languid fashion. She sometimes tried to find out what they were up to. She followed them in their march. But they always disappeared into some tiny hole, or a hair line crack on the wall, leaving her totally at a loss. It disturbed her for some mysterious reason she couldn’t fathom.
After the trace she realized that the ants were not a problem by themselves. It was all her attitude that had made her consider them troublesome. She remembered that they had never tried to get into her ears or nose when she was fast asleep. She had only imagined that they would.
She had everything to destroy them-disinfectants, moth balls, kerosene. She even tried to find out where they originated from-hoping to squash the origin, instead of squashing them. But……she had to admit defeat.
When her brain cells were too tired to fight, she accepted their presence, slowly, gradually. Fighting had mad her weak-mind and body. She now preferred truce-she who used to boast in her youth that she always preferred to fight it out “ I never compromise” She re-heard her young image flaunt her trust in a transient state of self self sufficiency. She had later learned to sigh; and further later not to sigh. So, without sighing she thought that she was no longer younger. And she accepted the ants.
The ants were well-behaved. They never fought with her. They would go about their business in a languid fashion. She sometimes tried to find out what they were up to. She followed them in their march. But they always disappeared into some tiny hole, or a hair line crack on the wall, leaving her totally at a loss. It disturbed her for some mysterious reason she couldn’t fathom.
After the trace she realized that the ants were not a problem by themselves. It was all her attitude that had made her consider them troublesome. She remembered that they had never tried to get into her ears or nose when she was fast asleep. She had only imagined that they would.
Looking at those sluggish little things, dreamily wandering through the floor, her understanding apologized “Sorry for the misunderstand.” she smiled to herself thinking of what the truce, finally, turned out to be co-existence, understanding. Later she wondered whether she wasn’t trying to smooth over the friend-enemy dichotomy, with the loftiest philosophy of understanding. She kept on wondering, often.
And the ants, in their own way, asserted themselves-silently, peacefully.
1998
A peaceful Co-existence of a human being and ants. It didn’t happen overnight; not in one day. It was a gradual acceptance.
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