Travels; A Cockroach's Story

I watched as Mother ambled toward me. Her great bulk dragging behind her. I was so proud to be her son, for I was after all, the last living member of her first brood. Today she ventured out into the world for the first time in months. The fact that she hadn't laid anymore eggs weighed heavily on her mind, for she could not see the reason of it. Her bottom left a trail of wetness behind her as it dragged along the ground, confessing to all where she had been.

"Mother," I said. "I see you have gone up to the water again."

She smiled at me and said, "You know I could never resist the water. I love to be clean and now that the giants moved back, it is hard to go there safely." Momentary sadness washed over me as I remembered all of us who had succumbed to the evil's of the giant's acids. "I saw poor Pedro die today, Dico. There I was talking to him, telling him to be careful, when he skittered away. Suddenly a huge thing came down and smashed him Dico, right in front of my eyes. I do not think I can take much more of this death." Her eyes became unfocused for a moment and a quiver went through her body.

"Mother," I started to ask. "Are you all right?"

I went closer to her, to rub against her, to touch her with my antenae to tell her it was okay when she suddenly reared back and shouted, "Do not touch me Dico!" Her faceted eyes glistened, "I believe I have walked through the whiteness." I drew in a breath, ever since Juan and Juanita frolicked in the white powder, (thinking it snow, though all should know it doesn't snow in Puerto Rico) all of us knew that to play in the white meant death to the whole Tribe. "I tried not to Dico, but my bottom betrayed me. I am far too old anyway. I mean, look at me, nearly three inches long, I have lived a good life Dico and am proud that you are my son."

"Someday Mother, we will overcome these giants who oppress us! These devil's!" She smiled faintly at me. "I know Dico, and I know you will be the leader of this revolt..." Her eyes grew distant again and another quiver, harsher this time, ran the entire length of her body. "Adios, mi querido." Spasms rocked her body one last time, and then she breathed no more.

I ran away then, to hide under a crack in the floor. I let out a great keening wail and my half brothers and sisters ran to our nest to see what happened. When they saw my mother lying there, they took up my death cries.

She was the queen of our Tribe. The oldest of our kind anyone I saw knew. She was the first to inhabit this nest, indeed the first in this whole dwelling. Soon after she came, many more followed, but they all knew she was the first and got the first pickings for her nest location. It was perfect, right near water, yet completely out of sight. Every now and then, the giants would drop food for us, which confused us all the more. If they hated us enough to kill us, then why did they feed us?

Mercedes glanced over my way, and she must have saw the light bounce off my coat for she called me over.