Memories down the lane – King Cobra

The word ‘king’ itself sufficient to indicate a majestic, prominent and impeccable nature of a character, be it an animal or man. But, King Cobra, despite its majestic and shiny appearance is very much feared by many. My six years stay with a cobra was indeed a wonderful tale of fantasy for those chose to disbelieve me. When my family members slowly began to move out from Pengkalan Hulu, a place where part of my childhood life is enshrined amidst the fresh greenery of that hilly town, I chose to remain there for sometime. This is due to the fact that I had not decided nor had any intention to move out from there.

We lived in a double storey wooden house built during the Japanese Occupation in the then Malaya. Two families occupied the house. My family and my uncle’s family. It is a very big house and looked like the houses that one can see in a horror movie. The planks were showing the grayish color of deterioration, an indication that some repairs need to be carried out. However, my days in that house went by without much complain over the condition of the house, and I really enjoyed living there.

A few months after all my family members shifted from there, I sensed some kind of presence in that house but I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t bother to find out what it was. Each time I enter the house, I could sense a kind of smell and to add that there were some markings such as dust, trails of liquid etc. on the floor, a sign that something had moved about the house. Some weeks later, while I was lying on my bed listening to some fine country and western, I heard some noise from underneath my bed. As I was so habitual sleeping with my hand left hand hanging by the side of the bed, I felt the bed sheet was pushed from inside and against my hand. Without second thought I bent down and pull the bed sheet up to check who the culprit was, but couldn’t see anything except that I kept hearing a hissing sound. Yes, it was a cobra.

For almost six years, we were sharing the same house. It was a kind of agreement like; you take care of your own business and I take care mine. Though in the beginning, I was frightened to death, but as time flies by, I learn to appreciate my new housemate. We lived together for six years with each respecting one another’s presence in the house. Almost every day, it would slither across the living room and the bedroom, without making any threatening motions. We can live in harmony once we obey the rules of nature. I left the place in 1992 and don’t know what happened to the cobra after that. May this harmony continuously exist at all place at all time.

Errors under your tender care.

Mistake are mine.

Corrections are yours.

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