Our house is a very old farmhouse built in the early 1900's. Bryce's room was the original kitchen, with a small room attached - this must have been the cold room or pantry. He uses that as his clothing room - or lets be fancy and call it his walk in closet.
The other morning I needed to get something out of that room, and the door was bolted shut. I hesitated for a few moments, but I really needed whatever it was, and Bryce was nowhere to be seen. Let me explain a little bit about Bryce, so you can understand the reason for the hesitation. Bryce is a nature lover. He is drawn to all things creepy and slimy. He is the type of boy that will scare his Granny with a big fat toad. He has an absolute love for snakes, and as I mentioned previously, there is one pet I still have to introduce to you. This is a good opportunity. I will get to introducing Akimbo in a bit.
A few weeks ago Bryce found a weak little bat, that he nurtured for 2 day and nights before he set it free. His walk in closet room is the room he uses for his treasures....... so......... now you can understand my hesitation. I had no idea why the room was locked or what was hiding in a corner somewhere.
I took a deep breath, rushed into the room, grabbed the item and ran out - alive, with nothing clinging to my leg. I found out later that he and Thabo were playing an escape game. He locked his brother in the room and he had to find his own way out. I didn't have time to notice the window wide open - but who knows what could have crept into the house via that window - all I know is that I don't want to be the one to find out.
A little bit more on Bryce. He has this incredible sense when it comes to picking up rocks. I am not exaggerating when I say that every rock or stone he chooses to pick up and peep under when we go on walks has something hiding under it. I've tested it, I'll pick up a few laying near the one he chooses..... and nothing. Saying that, it must be in the genes. My aunt can sense worms in strawberries. She sometimes has a feeling, and when she cuts that strawberry she always finds the worm.
On a walk a few months ago, Bryce identified blind snakes under the rocks he picked up. I had never seen one before. They are as tiny as an earthworm. Shortly after that he found a Common Brown water snake. His knowledge of snakes, in my opinion is incredible. These are just two examples. I could write a whole page of snakes he has identified on camping trips and hikes. Once the world gets back to normal, we have promised to book him into a snake handling course.
By now, I am very certain that you know exactly what the mysterious pet is. If you guessed a snake - you are correct. Akimbo is a South American Boa Constrictor. Bryce has wanted a pet snake since he could talk. Two years ago, I relented. As soon as I gave the go ahead, he did not waste a second. He had pocket money saved up, and Michael took him to the reptile store. Bryce had always talked about corn snakes, so that is what I assumed would be brought home. Well, lesson learnt, if you don't specify, your children (and in this case husbands) will find a loophole.
The one advantage of having an empty lodge, is that Akimbo can have his own warm, sunny room, and I don't have to worry about him escaping. There is a story there too. There wasn't any space for his terrarium, so a smaller one was brought instead. Well, this terrarium has a nice hole at the top, clearly for a Houdini snake to disappear out of. Early in lockdown, before Akimbo was moved to his own room, he was living in the "walk in closet." The weather was starting to get cooler, and this room was pretty cold. I went into the room to get Thabo a jacket (the door was not bolted at this time), and shock, horror - there was no snake in his home. I shut all the doors and raced out to find Bryce. Michael and him headed up the search team, comprising of just the 2 of them - there were no other volunteers. Luckily the search came to a quick halt, when they found him curled behind the toilet - I don't know what warmth he was trying to find there, but each to their own.