An Unexpected And Undesired Visitor

We had an unexpected visitor yesterday, and I'm not talking about the guys lurking on my merpest, balcony.

There I was at home on Israel's Soldiers and Terror Victims Memorial Day, after going to the Shiloh Cemetery, trying to be a good house frau. I had just brought all the clean dry laundry to the couch to be folded and turned on the TV to watch the depressing short movies about the dead, when the phone rang.

It was my next door neighbor. He told me that his son had spied a snake on my roof, and he was pretty sure that it was one of the most poisonous and lethal to inhabit this part of the world. They had just watched it eat a bird, so it wasn't about to move for at least a few hours.

I rushed out and looked up. Yes, that was a snake.

I then called the head of security who took the alarm seriously and not only because I'm friends with his mother-in-law.

The neighbor and security chief first tried to get it down themselves but then had second thoughts. So we tried calling the Shiloh maintenance man, but he wasn't working. Then we tried the moked, regional security, who said that we should call Information and ask for a "snake catcher." We caught a snake catcher, named Golan, and he agreed to come to Shiloh, even though he wasn't quite sure where Shiloh is.

Then the neighbor told me that he heard that there was someone on the yishuv who could catch the snake, but by the time I managed to reach him, Golan was on his way.

Luckily, after borrowing a very high ladder, Golan and partner captured the snake and revealed that it wasn't the poisonous one, but very similar in looks, Baruch Hashem, thank G-d.




OK, it still cost money, though less than I had feared. Consider it like going to some private doctors for tests and discovering that you're in perfect health.

While waiting for the snake to be removed, I had this feeling like my house had been made "impure," like the Biblical leprosy which not only affected people. It was a great relief to discover that the snake was harmless. Bli neder, eventually I'll post videos of the snake on my youtube and WEJEW.


Golan can be reached at 054-486-8974. Tell him that the lady from Shiloh sent you.