“What crap!” I muttered, throwing the remote onto my bed after switching off the TV. I had promised myself many times that I wouldn’t watch “Dr. Dolittle” anymore, but as usual, I broke my promise again. Yes, that movie about the doctor who can talk to birds and animals. The secret is out! I have this wild dream of acquiring a similar ability. So? Just leave me alone and let me take a shower. Water erases the ashes of dead dreams.
With a heavy heart, I dragged myself into the bathroom, undressed, closed my eyes, and stood quietly under the shower. When the water started to breach my comfort zone, I moved aside and opened my eyes. I noticed a lizard crawling near the geyser and sprinkled a few drops of water on it to shoo “it “ away.
“What’s wrong with you, man? Just do your own work and let me do mine. I’ve got to find some food for the family.” I froze on that hot summer day hearing these words. I thought ghosts had invaded my bathroom! I quickly turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist, nervously chanting, “Oh God, help me, I won’t bathe naked again — Oh God, help me, I won’t bathe naked again.” (Yeah, now you know my secret fear too! Being attacked by ghosts in the bathroom when I’m in my birthday suit! Don’t tell me you don’t have this fear! How embarrassing it would be to run on the streets shouting “ghosts, ghosts, ghosts!” in all my glory.)
“Humans are crazy.”
This time, I looked at the lizard and mumbled, “Did you…”
Time seemed to stand still between us, the intense silence broken only by our confused utterings: “Huh? What? You? Yes? Me? Yes? You too? How? Huh? Did you say something? Can you hear me? How are you talking? How can you understand me?”
Silence fell once more, only to be broken by a soft voice, “I am Fizzy.”
“I’m Sunny,” I replied with a desperate smile.
“Where did you learn Lizzy?” “he” asked,
“Excuse me? What?”
“Lizzy, the language of lizards.”
“Well, I have no idea. You see, I was watching this movie on TV…”
“Oh, TV? That’s interesting! We lizards also watch some programs, like the geographic channel. Anyway, let me introduce you to my family.”
He whistled and called out, “Hey sweetie-pie, come out and see who’s here.” From the hole behind the geyser, another lizard appeared, accompanied by a baby lizard.
“She is my wife, Whizzy, and this is my daughter, Cutezie. Darling, this is our generous landlord, Sunny, who never asks us for rent,” he chuckled. “Hey, Cutezie-honey, say hello to uncle!”
I nodded silently, this time with a relaxed and genuine smile. From the corner of my eye, I noticed them trying to touch their tails and straightening up furiously. A unique way to say hello in the lizard world — talk about quirky customs!
Before we could continue our conversation, Cutezie suddenly slipped and fell into a bathtub full of water.
“Cuuuuuuuuuutezieeeeeeeeeee!” shrieked Fizzy and Whizzy. “Help her, Sunny!”
Internally panicking and thinking, “Oopsie-whoopsie”, I saw her struggling. After hesitating for a few seconds, I swiftly scooped her out of the water with my left hand and gently placed her on the floor. Shaking off the water out of her system, Cutezie crawled back to her parents and snuggled close to her mom.
“Thank you, Sunny. We’ll never forget this!” But before I could reply with a simple, “It’s okay, never mind,” Fizzy posed an intense question in a chillingly calm tone. “What were you waiting for?” I found myself speechless. Fizzy pressed further, “Yes, I’m truly grateful for you saving my daughter’s life, but why did you hesitate? She’d fallen into a bathtub, not a river or sea where you’d need to assess your swimming skills. Why did you wait? What were you thinking?”
I sighed deeply, avoiding their gaze. A wave of guilt washed over me, silently praying for an escape from this awkward moment.
But Fizzy persisted relentlessly, “Come on, Sunny, please be honest. We really want to know.” His intense eyes seemed to search my very soul, and I noticed a similar curiosity in Whizzy and Cutezie’s eyes. I couldn’t believe my own ears on hearing what i blurted out next in a serious tone,
“most of the humans, including me, think that lizards are ugly and disgusting”
Shocking silence followed.Fizzy looked at Whizzy and they both broke out into such uncontrollable laughter,they were beating their little left forepaws on the wall,and hysterically wagging their tails sideways!!i think that prevents them from falling off from wall.
“Why is that?” Whizzy asked this time.
“Because you’re somewhat greenish, have a slimy appearance, and all those visible veins,” I responded.
To my surprise, my comment triggered another bout of laughter.
“Goodness, humans are truly uninformed. In our world, being greenish with visible veins is considered attractive,” Whizzy chuckled.
“You have a society? I always thought lizards were solitary creatures,” I remarked.
Whizzy continued, “You’re misinformed. Wikipedia hasn’t done you any favors! We lizards have a vibrant community. In summer, we gather food like mosquitoes, moths, and cockroaches. Then, in winter, we all meet at our annual convention in pre-decided abandoned places. There, we share our resources, hold weddings, discuss the future, and celebrate.”
“So, all those tales about hibernation and being solitary were myths?” I pondered.
“Welcome to the real lizard world, Sunny,” Whizzy replied.
“Shall we make a move, Whizzy darling? There’s a lot of work to do. Come on, Cutezie,” Fizzy interjected, smiling in a way that seemed a bit strange. Cutezie appeared quiet, looking somewhat sad.
Whizzy offered a smile, but was that a tear I saw?
“Goodbye, Sunny. Thanks again. It was a pleasure to meet you. Take care,” Fizzy voiced.
The lizard family soon vanished from the bathroom through the exhaust fan opening.
As I stood in a trance, watching them leave, I believed I caught whispers:
“Whizzy, darling, why didn’t you tell him the truth? That we lead a life of loneliness and fear, borne from humans’ disdain and that of other creatures. Our greenish hue comes from the poison in our hearts, our prominent veins because there’s so little to nourish us. And our society? I count myself lucky to have found you and to have started a family. Many of us perish alone, forsaken.”
“Stay calm, Fizzy. We keep our pains to ourselves. We have each other, and our beloved Cutezie. Let’s not dampen the day of an unsuspecting human with our sorrows.”
I felt as if someone had drained all my energy. I no longer want this ability to talk to animals. I don’t think I have the strength to hear untold stories of their unbearable pain. But I promise this to you, Fizzy, Whizzy, and Cutezie: I will never hate you and I will never shoo you again. Maybe it’s not ardent love, but I’m sure we can co-exist with tolerance and understanding.