Hairy Spiders, a Pick Axe and a Blade of Grass

Many years ago I lived in the Zimbabwean bush, in a small round mud hut with my own small vegetable patch and in the middle of nowhere. I did spend many nights by myself there, which at times was rather disconcerting as there was no door on my mud hut, and I had heard a leopard 'coughing' nearby. Most of the time, however, I was project managing a group of volunteers who were helping me with my scientific survey work. When they arrived the area changed and became a sea of tents – living quarters, medical tents and cooking areas. And it was outside one of these tents that a mini adventure began.

Late one night I was walking over to the medical tent when I noticed four big, fat, hairy legs poking out of a hole in the ground, right in front of the entrance into the medical tent, typical. This was going to be trouble.

The next morning I called Epheus over to get his opinion on the matter. Epheus was my camp guard, a wizened, elderly, local guy who had worked in the area for Lord knows how many years, and was an oracle in all things in the African bush.

"Aah, it eez not gud", said Epheus while shaking his head. "This eez very bad", he said, peering into the hole.
"I know that" I said frustratingly, " But can you do anything about it? And you mustn't kill it."

Epheus smiled and walked away leaving me dumbfounded. He then returned with a pick axe and a blade of grass - not the usual implements for removing a big fat hairy spider, but he was my expert after all, so I watched with curiosity. By now there was a growing number of people peering into the hole and shivering at the thought of a rather large fat spider just outside the medical tent. Ironic really, as this particular spider, at the baboon spider, had a very nasty bite.

Epheus looks at me, with a knowing smile, and delicately put the blade of grass into the hole and jiggled it around with his left hand. Meanwhile his right hand was raised above his head, brandishing the pick axe. His left hand was still working hard with the blade of grass and then all of a sudden he froze, and we held our breath. The pick axe came down with full force and he started digging up a considerable bit of the area before throwing the pick axe away and surveying his destruction.

And then out of nowhere loomed the spider, boulders cascading off its back and probably not too happy with its current situation. Epheus pounced on the spider, laying his right hand flat across the thorax of this monstrosity, and then manoeuvring his fingers round so he could pick the spider safely up without getting bitten himself. The spider was nearly as big as his hand, with its legs outstretched, and as Epheus brought it close to my face I could see its poisonous biting mouth parts pretty well. too close for my liking, far too close.

I did not flinch. This was not the desired effect that Epheus wanted from me, so he turned to Lucy, did the same, she shrieked, providing the right effect. The result was Lucy being chased by an old wizened man hobbling after her with a spider, it could've resembled a Benny Hill film. I was just glad that it wasn't me.

There is always something unexpected to see in Africa, whether it be fat or thin, hairy or scaly, humongous or teeny, Africa has it all. Looking back at this event I realise that things can be put into perspective and what is important in life is often re-addressed. The smaller things are often just as important as what we consider the larger things in our lives, and being in the wilderness of Africa helps us to recognise this.

Gain a sense of balance in your life.