Goodbye to Fred

Fred had to go. It's not that I didn't like Fred. He's cute as a button, but he was spending too much time in the kitchen and he needed to leave. I tried to persuade him but finally I told Zac this evening that Fred needed to be removed. By force, if necessary.

Fred is the gecko that had taken up residence in our kitchen about a week ago. I discovered our housemate about a week ago when I walked into the kitchen one night, turned on the light, and discovered a gecko paralyzed with fear on my counter top. I was startled, jumped and then giggled at my reaction. Zac, from the living room, wanted to know what was so funny. I told him we had a gecko in the kitchen. Zac asked, "Is he missing a tail?" I replied "yes" as the gecko took off for refuge under the microwave. "Oh, he's been around for a couple of days," Zac informed me. I was feeling generous and decided to let the gecko try to sneak back out of the house. "Maybe we should name him," I suggested. "Let's call him 'Fred'" Zac answered. (That's usually Zac's answer. Everything is either 'Turbo' or 'Fred' to Zac.)

Fred popped up every now and again over the last week or so. His tail started to grow back. Who knows where his tail fell off in the first place. Actually I don't want to know where his tail fell off. I've convinced myself that it happened outside the house, otherwise I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. I'd walk into the kitchen and Fred would run his usual route across the counter to his hiding place under the microwave. Today as I was cooking, however, I decided that Fred's time here was coming to an end. I was concerned about leaving my pumpkin bread out on the counter if I had a gecko climbing all over it during the nighttime.

Tonight as I walked into the kitchen Fred was on the counter. This was it. It was time. Time to go. Of course this posed a challenge as I am too much of a chicken to try and pick up Fred myself. I spent a few minutes arguing my case to Zac as to why Fred had to go. Zac argued very strongly on Fred's behalf, but in the end Zac agreed to reunite Fred with the great outdoors. Zac moved the microwave which shocked the heck out of Fred. I think Fred was under the impression that the microwave provided an impenetrable fortress of refuge. Luckily his stunned reaction gave Zac the opportunity to scoop him up with Fred's cute little gecko face poking out of Zac's gently closed fist.

Zac took the opportunity to torment me like a little boy in a school yard trying to creep out a female classmate. He chased me around the kitchen a bit threatening that Fred was going to, "get me." I was not amused. Well, maybe a little amused. But not very amused. After Zac was satisfied with my displays of wimpiness, Zac took Fred to the back door and let him out. Fred is now back outside, where he belongs, with exciting stories to tell to the other critters that lurk in the backyard..