Why did it have to be snakes?

My brother and I loved going to Aunt Cy's house in Waterford. It was a big house on a big piece of land. Our Aunt would spoil us, letting us do things I suspect should wouldn't let Christina do when she was there without us. In the summer there was a lake we could swim in, in walking distance. In the winter, the woods behind the house had many slopes we could navigate our sleds down.

It had been a great visit. We had played a ton of VCR clue, which I loved. We had played outside with the hose, until we sprayed through a screen. We had gone swimming in the lake down the road. While at the lake, we started looking for fossils and strange creatures. In the murky water, while you were a little worried bout the fish, they were not easy to find. This made it more exciting when you found one.

We needed to head back to the house for lunch, but at lunch we made a plan. The woods behind the house would be full of things to find. There would be all kind of bugs and critter. The woods were big enough we had never explored all of them, so who knew what was waiting for us.

They were not disappointing. We found colored stones and rocks with little prints in them. We imagined they were ancient marks from plants. We found a dead tree, which yeilded a couple walking sticks, but also beetles and grubs. Every tree, rock and puddle held new potential.

Then Christina spotted the snake. It was small, probably a Gardner snake, but I was stuck. This was the biggest find yet, but I was too scared to act. So, I acted like I was going after it, but far enough away I was never going to catch it. Christina did not go after it at all, like her mom she had a clear fear of snakes. My brother, though, didn't have the same fear we did. I wasn't going to tell him, but he did something I didn't think I could make myself do. He caught the snake. He didn't run like our cousin. He didn't play at going after it like I did. With quick hands, he grabbed the beast just behind the head.

So, we did what every cat and little boy does when the catch wildlife, we brought it back to the house. Christina and I ran a head, getting a white bucket and telling Aunt Cy. Our Aunt really wanted us to let it go, but she gave in to our desire to keep it, if just for a little while. It really was amazing what she would let us do.

Before long, the snake was in the bucket with a little grass and a few sticks. Over the top of the bucket we had constructed a brown paper lid held on with oversized rubber bands. At first, it was outside on the patio in back, but, I think because of the heat, we brought it into the basement. This wasn't a dark basement, you like be imagining, it was a finished basement with a door opening up into the backyard. It held the TV we played Clue on, the fold out couch we slept on, the game shelf and downstairs kitchen. It was really more of a lower level than basement. It was don there the snake made its home for the next few hours. This should be clear, but Aunt Cy did not like this arrangement.

After dinner, we went down to look for our catch and, as you have probably guessed, it was missing. We didn't completely open the bucket, but we peeked through the slit in the paper lid and it was clear he was gone. When we told Aunt Cy we got the look that said, if I didn't love you, I would kill you right now. She got a broom from the closet and all of us went back down stairs.

We looked under furtinure, behind the washing machine and under the sink. The snake was nowhere to be found. Aunt Cy became convinced it was in the bucket. So, she decided to remove the lid with one hand, while she held the broom with the other. I guess the thought was you could sweep the snake off the edge of the bucket if it looked like it was going to crawl out. As it turned out, she was kind of right. The snake had not gotten that far, it had managed to get over the rim of the bucket and had coiled itself in the edge of the paper lid. This fact was revealed when it fell to the floor, inches for Aunt Cy's feet, as she was pulling the lid off.

It was at this point she commenced inventing her own tribal dance. The snake was fast, but not as fast as Aunt Cy. Instantly he feet were spaced like a Somoan warrior, never were both on the ground as she hopped from foot to foot. Each step was followed with a tribal, "Ahhh, Owwww, Lookout.". The broom handle went from bumping the ceiling to being held low, always just a little behind the snake. I watched the events unfold, while I stood on the couch. I think Christina went back upstairs.

I'm not exactly sure how we got the snake back outside that day, but we did. I suspect my brother caught it, since he seemed to be the only one I mine to the desire to flee from it. What I do remember was this. Once it was back outside, the tribal dancing and other commotion ended. Also, there was a new rule for the house. No more snakes.