Snake in the House! 12/2

Power has finally just returned after a month of being out at post! I was thrilled to be able to turn on my computer and immediately seized the opportunity to relax and watch some TV. I took a break from my movie and went to my kitchen for a snack. I flicked on the light and then entered the kitchen when a slight movement caught my eye. Under the door that leads to the backyard I saw a dark, scaled tail. I immeadiately thought lizard… or snake! The tail slowly retracted and vanished under the door. By its slow movement I was convinced it was a snake. I thought about letting it go, but then also thought about it coming back or all my neighbors who would be walking out there to the latrine that evening. I opened the door slowly, and sure enough, there was a two-foot long snake! It was relatively thin, with a dark black green color, just sitting on my steps. I ran around to the front of the house and called my neighbor. By just saying there was a snake, all the Cameroonians in my compound jumped into action. A snake is not to be taken lightly, apparently. She ran and called for one of the men. He came out equipped with his machete. The snake started to climb back up towards my door. The women looked on anxiously and with extreme caution. They were all leaving ample space between them and the snake. “This is a bad one,” the man said. Then he swung at it with his machete, leaving a hefty blow. The snake writhed and tried to lash out and bite at the machete. The man continued to hit it until it was clearly dead, and then he continued to hit it some more to really make sure it was dead. I guess they really don’t want to take any chances. They even decided to throw it into the latrine for good measure. My neighbor thanked me for getting her and continued to make disgusted noises for several minutes before everyone disbanded. I was very glad that power returned when it did, that I turned on the light before entering the room, and that I decided to get someone about it. My next step will be contacting the carpenter to extend the bottom of my door a bit.