The Day of the Roach

Just imagine you have been on a bus for 4+ hours to come and visit your friend. The bus didn’t stop and you didn’t bring any food with you – you are starving! Finally you get to New York and find your friend. You have been dragging your luggage all over the city and finally sit down to eat a nice slice of NY pizza and a cool crisp salad. All of your worries now in your past…until about ¾ of the way through the meal and your friend suddenly stands up and starts backing away quickly while making wild gestures at you. Your friend who is speechless finally manages to convey that there is something on her that won’t come off. Eventually the “thing” comes off, the patrons in the restaurant are screaming and you have to deal with the realization that you have been violated by some sort of scary critter. Yes, this actually happened. My friend, who begged to remain nameless, will probably never come to visit me again! She was just trying to enjoy her meal and this roach came crawling across her chest and then down and around to her back and finally through the restaurant until some nice teenager killed it for us! So sick and scary! The rest of the evening we couldn’t stop talking about it and how it got there and how she didn’t realize that it was on her, etc, etc.

Now if only that wasn’t bad enough - the very next morning we got up, ate breakfast and were getting ready to go out. I was calmly laying on the wonderful blow up mattress that my guests get to sleep on when they come to visit me and I see this “item” staring at me! I immediately jump up, let out a blood curdling scream and run to the kitchen leaving my friend to fend for herself. Luckily my roommate’s boyfriend was there and he killed the blasted thing. Just our luck - two in a span of 24 hours both in very near proximity! These are not your run of the mill cockroaches, mind you, these are the 3 inch long suckers that run really fast and seem to have a million legs! SOOOO GROOOSSSSS!

Needles to say, we had nightmares the rest of the weekend and anytime there was movement we both jumped. The worst part about this whole situation is what I learned about myself. I, apparently, am very selfish and would run away before helping a friend! Who does that? My friend kept saying – why did you leave me? (Since, I hadn’t seen any before she got her, I also accused her of bringing it with her – It was a moment of weakness, what can I say? Unfortunately she didn’t forget…) Thank goodness she is one of my dear friends and knows that I do love her. Secondly, I realized that I have a deathly fear of the little critters. On Saturday when I saw the one (in my room) I started tearing up while standing on one of the chairs in the kitchen until Brian got it. Apparently I get a little worked up about the situation. But, I guess this is New York. Our apartments get sprayed once a month and life must go on.

I forgot, why do I love New York so much?