Since I was little I never really warmed up to animals. I grew up to the distinct classification of animals into three: the ones that are raised to be slaughtered; the ones that are raised for special, security-like purposes; and the ones that are not to be messed with under any circumstance.
The first classification of animals includes the likes of hen, goat, cow, maybe ram and rabbits. Animals like cats and dogs occupy the second class although some people raise dogs for its meat. They call it 404! Anyway, back then dogs were mostly domesticated to act like the security of the house while cats secure the house from intruders like rodents. The third class comprises annoying little animals like rats, lizards, geckos and every other wild animal out there.
I grew up to develop a phobia for cows. I've heard terrifying stories about cows ramming into people and tearing them apart with their horns. In fact, I take to my heels whenever I come across a cow. I'm very familiar with hens and goats but I suffered my first serious injury as a kid at the hands of a goat. According to what I was told, I chose to sit on the back of a goat as if it were a horse. The animal got annoyed and turned me over. I broke an arm. I was just about 4 years old.
So, you see, I've never really had nice encounters even with the seemingly harmless animals. As for cats and dogs, we never really go along nicely. In my locality, no thanks to religiosity, cats are widely seen as agents of darkness. Anyone with a domesticated cat is naturally assumed to be a blood sucking witch or wizard. Due to that, I developed a dislike for cats. And dogs, the menacing look of those canines scares the shit out of me. I was already into my 20s before I got comfortable with having dogs around me.
Now, to the third classification: the daredevils. For a start, rats are too troublesome. And after the outbreak of Lassa fever, my tolerance for them is now a big fat zero. Lizards and geckos are too similar to snakes. Anything that looks like that scares me to death. And as for snakes, I hate them as much as I fear them. Can't stand that slimy animal for a second.
Despite all the negative encounters I've had with animals, the one that really scared me the most was the one that involved probably the smallest animal of all animals I've mentioned so far: a scorpion. About three years ago, I started seeing scorpions in my living room. It looked absurd because I lived very much in the populated centre of the town with no bushes or water bodies nearby. So how are scorpions finding their way into my apartment?
Either way, my sleep was rudely interfered with after one of those little shits stung my ear around 2 a.m. on a particular day. It was a scary and funny encounter as I woke up, held the stung ear and ran out in search of the nearest clinic while screaming "I shall not die but live" in fear. My fear was borne out of the stories I grew up with that scorpion sting travels faster and is way deadlier than that of snakes.
Anyway, I spent the few days after the encounter reading everything there is about scorpions and how to deal with the silly little things. The next time I came across one I crushed it in anger. Never will I be scared of a scorpion again.
