“Phylum
Anthropoda…..” The squeaking noise of a chalk on the black-board woke my
senses up… Dinesh Sir, My zoology teacher continued in his deep-base voice, “is
the most diverse group in the kingdom Animalia…”. I went back to my slumber
after the heavy lunch on a sunny May afternoon. No, I was not asleep. Infact,
no one could sleep in Dinesh Sir’s class, with the kind of loud-voice he used
to give lectures. My eyes were open, but my mind were wandering somewhere. The
vacation was spoiled with full day special classes, and this one, which started
at 7am will go on for another 2 hours. I tried to concentrate on the drawing of
a typical insect on the black-board. Antennae, compound eyes, exo-skeleton… it
resembled some exotic UFO and I was astonished to learn these small creatures
are not as simple as I thought!!!
“10
minutes break…”, Dinesh Sir’s voice seemed sweet for the first time after
lunch!!! I went out with Prabheesh, washed my face and I was awake. We finished
the chapter on “phylum anthropoda” by evening and I went back home. After a
refreshing bath and snacks, I tried to go through the notes which I have taken
down from the class. A wasp started to fly around my tables lamp. I was
startled to see it popping out of my book-shelf and tried to watch it close by.
I was trying to make out its features. I could relate it to most of the
physiological characteristics of the typical insect on the black-board. I could
see another wasp sitting on my book. It had a golden coloured stomach. I
started wondering where these little creatures are coming from. HUH! There is
another one under my Botany record-book! I started to get a feeling that
something is not right. I observed my room to see if everything is in place. I
could not find anything wrong but I could see the number of wasps have been
increased and they started to flutter their little wings around my head. My
astonishment slowly turned into fear. “anaphylactic shock….” I read it
somewhere in my notes and started to recollect what. I could remember the
example Dinesh Sir said, of a boy who died of a wasp-attack and ….OH MY GOD!!
Its happening to me? The room was full of wasps and I could hardly move to
escape. I was afraid to open my mouth to shout as I thought those filthy
insects could easily find their way to my throat and block my oesophagus and I
could die getting suffocated! I wanted to eradicate the entire phylum
arthropoda from earth if I manage to escape from this room alive! Did they hit
my eyes and I have gone blind? Why am I not able to see anything. God, they are
going to kill me with those hexapods. I started to perspire. I heard my Amma’s
voice and it seemed to come from some distant island. I wished if I could shout
back, so that she could rescue me from these dreadful creatures!!! “I am coming
with the candle son…”, I could hear her voice more clear and near now. I wanted
to tell her not to come.. I did not want her to get stung by these little
wasps. I could feel my Amma’s touch on my head. God, how would she feel If she
find me blind. “Are you sleeping?”. I could see her face glowing in the candle
light… “I hate phylum arthropoda…”. I told her, forcing all the contempt I
could fill in the words!
