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Of course I remember your Graduation party at the zoo, though I had thought it was a birthday, not graduation. And there was a picture of you with Mr Boa wrapped around your waist, or hanging around your neck, I don't remember which. I was only what, four years old?
Years later I followed in your footsteps. They had a 6' boa named Jake the Snake at Phillips Andover. As a bio nut, I got into feeding him and taking him out for exercise, which was allowed as handling him kept him friendly. He was very friendly, always around for a hug, y'know. Well...
One fine day my good friend Jake and I were studying together out on the lawn in the quad. Time, as it is wont to do, got away from me and suddenly it was only a few minutes before Spanish class, with Senor Dix.
Senor Dix was a small man, round-headed in that hampster* way some men have. Very nice, and a decent teacher.
At any rate, I whipped my embroidered Jeans jacket around me, and over Jake, who was wrapped around my waist (tail at the back) and then up my back, out the neck of the jacket at the nape of my neck, and his head rested upon mine, with his mouth just even with my brow. This was one of Jake's favorite positions. He was warm, of prime importance to cold-blooded critters, and supported, and he knew my smell. It was comfy for me too, as he was easy to carry. I have dark very fluffy hair which, at the time, was down to my butt. Jake was nearly invisible.
For the first 5-10 minutes of class, it was comfy for everyone. Then someone noticed the extra eyes, or maybe it was the little red forked tongue. And it was pandemonium.
Half the class running out the door, or backing up. Senor Dix among those; I suppose it was the hampster coming out, now that I think of it.
Half the class moving closer, to get a better look at what was, given most of them were humanities types not science jocks, the only time they'd seen a snake without glass between them and it.
Class was dismissed. Senor Dix could not recover himself.
Jake seemed to take it all in ... erm ... stride, if such can be said of a snake.
* hampster. Yes. I do know it doesn't have a "p" in it. I have always had a tendency
to spell it with the "p" and then remember and then delete it. And I like
the "p". It's sort of like the cheek full of seeds that you tap and feel all the seeds and
you know if it stuck ONE MORE seed in there it would lose it and start spewing seeds like
some sort of grain-machine-gun. And "ham"ster sounds like some sort of breakfast pork product.
"Two eggs sunny side up and I'd like a hamster patty with that, grilled." So that's why. (8/14/2006)
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