There comes a time in a woman’s life where she grows up and graduates. She’ll find a man who she loves and will marry. There comes a time in a woman’s life where she has to move out of her parents’ nest and live on her own. Then, there comes a time in a woman’s life where she will have her first encounter in her home… with her very first rat.

Whoopee for me, that time in my life came. And let’s just say I did not take it well.

Dean and I live in a low-rise old-but-well-maintained apartment with beautiful natural surroundings, a gorgeous view and excellent security. Everything seemed perfect and there I was as if brought in by clouds and chirping birds happily unpacking in my new home.

Our mistake was that we took the Ground Floor. We were just so taken by our view we had that we took the only available apartment unit. We’re on a hill anyway, it’s not so bad, we thought.

We later on found that “not so bad” included the sweet scent of damp soil from the outside, also the bonus of cracks and holes that we didn’t know existed.

Now, you all know I’m a nature lover. I love nature so much I refuse to eat vege and I have so much respect for animals that I refuse to go near them. Fine, I guess I love the idea of nature… all green and fresh. But let’s just keep our relationship to Discovery Channel, shall we? That’s why I wasn’t too thrilled when I found cockroaches coming out of holes and house lizards making stupid clacking sounds like they pay rent.

I later learned that I do have patience after all to just accept them as housemates, and Dean also later learned that he has excellent insect-busters skill. We’re like pros now. See a cockroach squeezing itself through the door and we nod at each other knowingly. You get the spray, I get the vacuum. Mission accomplished.

But the day I saw a rat in the back room…. Wow…. I never knew I had that key in my voice box. I screamed so loud even I got scared. Our trusted handyman came and settled everything. Caught it, sealed the hole that the rat came from and dusted his hands. Like it was a normal thing for him.

Me on the other hand? There I was pressing myself against the wall, shivering with shock and disgust from head to toe. There’s just something about that tiny furry animal with its tail omggggg I cannot I cannot I’m so sorry.

That was definitely the last straw for me.

I have not gone back to the apartment since because of my rat-phobia. All of the things in the house have been washed and Klorox-ed (I considered Klorox-ing myself too!) and are being moved out in boxes. I refuse to go back there for only God knows if the rat, as cute as it was, has little babies that will come nibble our ears in our sleep. Oh my god I’m shivering again.

Current destination: back to our parents’ houses.

Sigh… you’re cute, but I don’t think we can ever be friends.