Oh don't worry! I've been here for years and I've never seen one! You'll never see them indoors! You might find one in a shed or out building! Statistically speaking...blah..blah..blah!
All these have been ringing in my ears.
'Why?' I hear you cry
Because today, sixteen days into our trip and I see my first red back 'killer' spider.
Was I rummaging in an out house? shuffling in a shed? Oh no. No.
Admittedly I was in a grubby little place with some horrible creatures but killer spiders I did not expect to find!
I was at the Real Estate office. Now there are many horrible creatures found in Estate Agents offices, mostly wearing shirts and ties and bad jewellery but to my knowledge none of them are killers.
We were there to sign the lease for our new house and we took paper, pens, pencils and crayons to keep the kids amused and got them to sit in a corner while we read through and signed the relevant stuff. The kids kept getting up as they were bored after ninety seconds, as was I, so I kept sitting them back down.
Finally we were done and whilst Rachel loaded the kids into the car, I bent down to collect up the pens, paper and stuff.
That is when I saw our little friend sitting on the carpet next to the skirting board. I ask the Estate Agent bloke 'is that a red back spider there, considering it has a red back?' He rolled his eyes in a kind of 'paranoid whinging Pom' kind of way and glanced down. His 'GULP' was audible followed by a splutter. 'arrrrr thits onleeeey a babi mate!' he said somehow justifying its existence and previous proximity to our children.
Stiff upper lip time. 'Well if your not worried then nor am I' I say and leave the building. I turn to see him trying discreetly to stamp on the red back whilst waving and smiling to us through the window.
I wouldn't say we stared Death in the face but maybe just glanced in His direction.
So anyway we have signed for our new house and will be getting the keys Friday week. The kids are very excited as it has a pool but Tom is most disappointed that the dog that was present at the viewing doesn't come with the house. Tom said the dog was his very favourite thing in the world and that he would really miss him. I said 'your very favourite thing?' 'Yes' he said 'well my most favourite thing with four legs'....priceless.
Good night my family and friends x
Memento mori
