One of my worst nightmares came true yesterday. Being alone in the house with a cockroach of the superhero variety.

Meaning a cockroach which thinks nothing of hovering 4 feet above the ground with the wind beneath its wings, which leaps easily from object to object and does somersaults in mid air, which scampers nimbly away if it even thinks someone is behind it with an intent to murder. The only way this cockroach departed from the superhero ilk was it was in no mood to save any damsel-in-distress. It instead seemed intent on distressing the damsel.

The damsel however could not ask anyone in the house to do the chivalrous task of beating the above-mentioned superhero to a pulp. Nor could she escape from the house (due to an eye infection which had left her with swollen eyes. Details, details!) . It is a mark of her bravery that instead of screaming and hiding behind a large object as usual, she went and fetched a broom, with the above-mentioned intent to murder. Which the cockroach dodged with the above-mentioned nimbleness. And so the rest of the evening was spent by the damsel going about her tasks with a broom firmly in hand. And with the cockroach deciding it wise not to make any further appearances for the time being. And so they existed in an uneasy truce.

That’s not entirely true. The uneasiness was all on my side. I am sure the cockroach felt nothing.