Sleep. It’s a very good, very sweet thing, isn’t it?
Here, there is a ritual that accompanies preparation for sleep. First, comes washing off the day. Living seaside, moisture clings to the skin and along with it, the dust and perspiration of the Sahel, as this region of Africa is called. So, always, there’s a shower before bed.
Next step, before turning on any lights in my bedroom, all portals—doors and windows—that are without screens, must be closed.
Then, the mosquito net goes down.
If the lights are on and the mosquito net is up and the windows open…well, that would be an open invitation. Even one very small mosquito in the net with you in the dark is torture. Their finely tuned GPS expertly zeroes in on any exposed bit of skin…swat… slap…successfully dodging a flat hand and pillow. Finding a way between the sheets, they bite ankles and knees. If my nose is out for purposes of breathing, they dive down and bite whatever flesh they can find.
And that buzz…there’s nothing quite like it…a sound unique in all the animal kingdom. Like a drone….You can hear it coming before you see it, if you see it at all. And when the buzz stops, that’s when the biting starts.
Doesn’t matter where in the world you are…New York, Kansas City, Lima, Barcelona or Dakar. Damn mosquitoes are all alike. And I'm very grateful I have a net.
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