Rats

"We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas....!"
The boys were singing in the car on the way home from school this afternoon.
"And a happy new RAT!" The boys pelted out with glee.
"Rat? Why rat?" I asked.
"We saw a rat today!"
"At school??"
"Yes."
"Really? A rat? Are you just kidding?" I smiled at my boys. They didn't smile back.
My eldest piped up, "I'm not kidding. It went under my work table and almost ran over my feet!"
"Whaaaaaatttt? Are you sure it wasn't a mouse? How big was it?"
My oldest held his hands apart about 8 inches. "Like that." My littlest nodded in agreement.
I was still in disbelief but my kids don't tell tall tales. "Did you tell a teacher?"
They nodded. "She saw it. Miss P saw it running along the wall and screamed!" the boys said, their eyes wide in remembrance.
"Did it get away?"
"No, they called to Mr Dennis who came with his machete."
"His machete?" Oh boy, this did not sound good.
"Oh, yeah! It was a huge machete!"
Why is a man running around a school with a machete?
I almost didn't want to ask "so, what did Mr. Dennis do?"
The boys paused for a second and looked at each other, then blurted, "he came and chased it with his machete and killed it!"

As visions of big, hairy, cut up rat danced in my head, I talked to my boys about what they saw. I was a little worried that seeing a small animal whacked to pieces right in front of them may have been difficult, but they didn't seem to mind. Mr. Dennis is somewhat of a legend at the boy's school. Apparently, whenever big scary things need taking care of, Mr. Dennis answers the call. They seemed more interested in telling me about all the other wondrous things Mr. Dennis does with his machete than the occasional large rodent culling. Thankfully, most of the Dennis Duties revolved around tending to the tropical gardens around the school.

When we first explored the island almost a year ago, I hadn't realized just how common machetes are carried around here. The machete is used for every type of job in Grenada, from cutting paper slim tomato slices, to boring holes in coconuts, to gutting fish, to sacrificing a goat, and yes, to intimidate would-be thugs, or so I am told. While the majority of uses are functional, it was still a little disconcerting to be walking around our neighborhood for the first time and seeing every third person walking past had a machete dangling from their wrist. For most, it is their sole livelihood. Without it, they could not perform their craft.

Thus, the machete is an institution in Grenada. They are sold almost everywhere, usually under a locked glass cabinet, the more expensive ones with intricately carved handles and some are even offered with engraving on the blade.

No doubt the inscription the rat read right before he met his doom...."To Dennis, with love...."