Bawl!

“The oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”

 ~H.P. Lovecraft

Today, Sunday 20^th May, 2018 I have learnt that on this day we celebrate our first International Bee day. I must be honest with you, I am scared of bees…and Jack Spaniards…and marabunta…and practically all other stinging insects. Not because they freak me out, but because I am allergic to insect bites and stings. I thought I should share with you a bit of my experiences with them.

The events you are about to read are based on a true story.

I discovered this allergy at age five, when I was bitten on my upper, left arm. Even today, not sure if the assault was made by an ant or a mosquito. It was left untreated, which later turned into an abscess. I remember bawling and crying when my mum would drain the fluid for a few nights in a row. How could an insect so bloody small possibly cause me so much pain and discomfort?! It looked like there was a hole in my arm. Luckily, the actions of my intuitive mother, coupled with treatment by the doctor made it better.

I have never been stung, but since that incident, I always try to have Piriton tablets with me, just in case. I have no intention of going into anaphylactic shock.

In 2008, I watched a German horror movie called Die Bienen — Tödliche Bedrohung. Translation: Killer Bees. The movie itself did not freak me out, but there was the trailer of another movie advertised: Killer Bees (different to the above film). In this trailer, bees were swarming through a town, stinging and killing everyone in their paths. Even flying inside their cars and killing them. I know this was fiction, but I developed a fear that this could one day become a possibility/reality.

Can you imagine if one of your worst fears became a reality? Well, I could because mine did.

In 2010, two years later after seeing the trailer, this horror movie scene came to life. And I was the witness.

Surrounding my parents’ home were a lot of fruit trees and flowers. They liked nature, so they worked hard to create an environment of greenery. Outside my bedroom window was a large Vervine plant; hummingbirds and bees loved this. So every morning, I was accustomed to hearing birds singing, and the buzzing of many different types of bees. But somehow, this morning was different. I was at home studying for my final year of A level exams. While studying, I could hear the light buzzing sounds of the bees outside. Nothing unusual about this. After taking a water break, I returned to my bedroom. I still heard the buzzing sounds but they somehow seemed louder. I thought that the bees were probably working overtime, so I decided to look. I drew open the curtains and I saw bees swarming in front of me. And in the distance, more bees were coming. Thank goodness the windows were closed!

Thinking quick even though in terror, I ran out my bedroom, closing the door behind me, and the adjacent bedroom door. Each room in the house, with the exception of my parents’ bedroom had a ventilation space close to the roof. There was a chance that the bees could fly inside the house, so I closed the doors to prevent this. I then went into the living room, grabbed our sleeping cat, Lucky, and ran into my parents’ bedroom closing the door. My mum was also home that day, asleep. Scared out of my mind, I woke her up and explained the situation.

While I remained in the safety of her room with a confused but annoyed cat, she calmly went to the different windows in the house to assess what was happening. When she returned, she told me not to worry. The swarm was settling on one of our fruit trees, and within a few hours, once properly settled, she would take care of them!

And she was right! After a few hours, all the bees congregated on the West Indian cherry tree. That day my mum was so brave, taking care of the problem by herself, without being stung!

I love you mama! You showed real big Kahunas!

I wish I could say that day was the last time I witnessed the live horror scene. But no. Again, two years later, while closing the bedroom window, I heard the same buzzing sounds and there it was, another swarm flying close to our home. I guess I have impeccable “bee timing.” (Not sure if this is a blessing or a curse!) The bees landed on our neighbour’s Governor plum tree. We informed them, and they called in the experts from the Ministry to handle the problem. One year later, the other neighbour had a swarm land on her tree as well. It sounds funny, but within a few years, these bees have landed on the perimeter of our home, with the exception of our front yard. Coincidence? I don’t know.

Despite my allergy, just recently I developed a fascination for these creatures. Maybe it’s because for so long I’ve been wanting to purchase honey, but I’ve been reluctant to spend a lot of money on a product that I do not fully understand. I know the basics of where honey comes from, but for this post I will embark on a quest to learn more about the business of the bees.

To bee continued…

Photographer & Editor: A. Peter

Follow & Share:

1