Refugee

Living in the tropics I have gotten used to the permeability of houses and apartments. I am accustomed to lizards and ants in the kitchen, geckos behind doors, and in Dili, cats in the ceiling and vermin in the drains. But tonight, as I walked into the dark apartment, just home from yoga, I was surprised by the sticky thwack thwack of a large green tree frog jumping across the floor.

Too zonked to take care of it right away, I went ahead with my shower. He joined me in the bathroom, taking a place next to a discarded sponge. I don't fault him really. The rains tonight were torrential, making small rivers of the roads. And heck, we have plenty of ants to spare. I think he can stay.