A very unexpected guest

What’s green and doesn’t live in a car? 

December - and after the disappointment of the airline losing both my suitcases on the flight from London to Dar es Salaam, I was pleased to be back in Kigoma. Time to check our very dirty car. It had been parked up on the solar charger for six months. Would the key fob set the alarm off? It normally did. Would the battery be totally flat, or would the car start? I didn’t have the multimeter to check the voltage, so I just opened the door, hopped onto the driver’s seat and then opened the bonnet, then back to the front of the car to check fluid levels and have a bit of a clean up. The car was filthy. I repeated this half a dozen times or so until I felt it was time to try to start it. I turned on the diesel pre-heat and then Position 3. It fired up first time. Excellent! Good boy!

As the engine was warming up I had a look at the tyres and thought I would top them up a bit. The electric pump was in the back, so I walked around the back and opened the tailgate. It was then, no more than a foot from my face was a sizaeable Green Mamba Snake, not looking desperately happy. I jumped back slamming the tailgate to keep it in while I worked out what to do. I was really really shaken. How on earth did it get in? And I had been in an out of the car several times without  knowing the snake had been inside all the time. But how did it get in? The windows had all been closed, the doors shut and locked and the car had been unattended for 6 months.

Anyway, one broken sweeping brush later and the snake lay dead on the ground. I had trouble getting into the car for several months after that, though I am getting better now.

When you are praying for protection for us, please don’t forget there are snakes here!