La Licorne
MY TICKS
|
|
Left: Soft Tick Right: Hard Tick [ As
I can assure, my ticks were of the hard type ] |
While in Jamaica during the mid-seventies my work
brought me to the green grazings of the large cattle estates that existed all
over the country. On those occasions ticks that were many in the bushes and
grasses would manage to jump onto me. For them my smooth soft skin must have
been heaven compared to the hairy tough cowhides. Once having decided to stay with
their new host they would start a journey all over the place. During that phase
one had the chance to get rid of them. However, they would do their inspection
in such a sneaky way that you didn't become aware of it. No, once you noticed
them it was too late for a simple wipe-off. That critical moment came, after
they had assured themselves of a soft-enough spot, when they started stinging,
biting and digging themselves into your skin in order to settle in a snug place
underground. The liquid they injected for their own convenience during the
process became a lasting nuisance for their victum, in this case: me!
Without
properly knowing how-to I exercised several schemes to get rid of them, such
as: cutting them out or drowning them in white rum. In the latter case one is
allowed to take a good sip himself as well. Although I survived, the culprits
left several marks on my body that would continue to occasionally irritate.
Came 1987,
I repeat 1987, the year of my first assignment to Ethiopia in the company of
Mieke and our son Lucien. Most marks had subdued but some were still active. Certainly
the delicate touching, rubbing and scratching that I had cultivated overtime
had encouraged these tormenters to stay.
On our way
back from Mount Bale and other places, and just before -or just after- the
Rasta Settlement established under the rule of the Emperor, we decided to make
a stop at Lake Langano. Of course, it was good sport to take a dip in the lake
as well.
Being
Dutch and having lived in the neighborhood of waters we made it a good exercise
of -say- 20 minutes. The miracle must have happened there and then, because
after I stepped out of the water I noticed that the once reddish blurs had
crimpled to hard white cores that fell off in the course of the days that
followed. Halleluja!