What happens when a Canadian Cowboy..his Indian love..a pack of mice and a Punjabi landlord meet in a Toronto apartment.
Armed with the knowledge of all my tenant rights in Canada I confronted the new landlord with the shocking news : “ I have mice in my home” I told this elderly moustachioed gentlemen Mr B P Sharma.
“You have a mouse ?” he asked in what I thought was an astonished tone. Until he said “Where there is House there will be mouse !” With his thick Punjabi accent and down to earth tone. It sounded pretty straightforward to me. “ You remember in India there were mice running around in all the houses. No body called the landlord. We hunted them ourselves.” He said.
“You have a mouse ?” he asked in what I thought was an astonished tone. Until he said “Where there is House there will be mouse !” With his thick Punjabi accent and down to earth tone. It sounded pretty straightforward to me. “ You remember in India there were mice running around in all the houses. No body called the landlord. We hunted them ourselves.” He said.
Then as if to compromise he sent a man in a Blue Uniform from the “ Paste( pest) control services Brampton ” To catch the rodents.
My Tibetan neighbours below confronted the man Rajat Singh even before he stepped into the house.“ you can stun the mice they told him, but please do not kill them, Lord Buddha is the friend of all beings”.
The trapper came up to my apartment on the first floor “ I have been in this business for 20 years” he said “ never have I heard of a request to half kill a mouse and not fully kill it.now .what would you like..? he barked
“ Well there is a family of rats in My Kitchen” I said “they have eaten my food, chewed up my clothes and shoes and they party all night. So I guess I would like to see them go..
He then set up some small black boxes containing rat poison in the strategic places of my tiny home. Three months later their tribe had increased. Seems like they were too fat to get into the Black Box rat traps or the Tibetan `mantras’ that save mice actually worked!
My Canadian Cowboy Brian had had enough by now. Whenever he stayed over weekends with me. The mice actually nibbled at his toes and looked loving into his sleepy brown eyes..
One weekend he went into Canadian Tyre and bought the whole ammunition. Super Glue traps, snap traps and what have you..
Brian spent all Sunday setting up the traps “ I do not want to hear a word of protest from you about kindness to animals and how cute they look “ he warned in his deepest Cowboy voice “ One word and you and the mice will all be shipped off to India.”
A week later we were just sitting back to watch "The Pink Panther Strikes again " when two mice ran into the room. They saw Brian and skidded butts first into the gap under the side door. The movie was put on hold while Cowboy of mine..searched the apartment room by room for the `daredevils' and then decided to hold his fire for the night.
My angry letters to the landlord never worked.." Miss Lipi" he said " these are very small issues..there are many bigger things happening in life..go after them.. " sure I answered..
A week later we were just sitting back to watch "The Pink Panther Strikes again " when two mice ran into the room. They saw Brian and skidded butts first into the gap under the side door. The movie was put on hold while Cowboy of mine..searched the apartment room by room for the `daredevils' and then decided to hold his fire for the night.
My angry letters to the landlord never worked.." Miss Lipi" he said " these are very small issues..there are many bigger things happening in life..go after them.. " sure I answered..
So the Cowboy and me followed the " Bigger issues in life.".We went up cruising in the 30,000 islands of Parry sound and dreamed of setting up a home by the lake and the mountians. oneday soon. We saw deer and Golden Eagles..we splashed the beaches at Killbear National park , looked out for bear and drove through the breath taking mountains and Lakes of Muskoka,Port Carlton , Bala and more...Toronto..the mice and the city seemed so far far away..
When we came back..the mice almost opened the door for us..they were so fat, sleek. oily and ..bold and also many. more. ( since the last count)..They had not missed us one bit but had been holding their own `Labour Day' party..(in celebration of freedom )..
Food and tissue paper lay strewn over the floor and the distinct smell of "mice and the things they do" hung over the air..we both had had enough..
I had two options- Call the city ( civic authorities).. that would have been cruel on the good landlord and Tibetan neighbours or move out..!
Last count the Mice..the landlord and the Tibetans were still around..but the Cowboy and I are soon moving out to a place in the beautiful mountains!
When we came back..the mice almost opened the door for us..they were so fat, sleek. oily and ..bold and also many. more. ( since the last count)..They had not missed us one bit but had been holding their own `Labour Day' party..(in celebration of freedom )..
Food and tissue paper lay strewn over the floor and the distinct smell of "mice and the things they do" hung over the air..we both had had enough..
I had two options- Call the city ( civic authorities).. that would have been cruel on the good landlord and Tibetan neighbours or move out..!
Last count the Mice..the landlord and the Tibetans were still around..but the Cowboy and I are soon moving out to a place in the beautiful mountains!
