It was Sunday evening. The weather was cold, and the shadows were long. The compound was quiet, apart from the commentary of the football game on the TV Emma, my kid brother who had come visiting was watching.
I was enjoying the calmness. I looked up; I could see the sun from the kitchen window where I was stirring my pot of beef stew. The aroma filled the air. I took pride in my cooking skills and was sure Emma was going to love it.
But the calmness was broken by the loud barking of my dog, Lily. I've known Lily to be the queen of tantrums so I didn't give much attention to it. Not until it got so serious, and I couldn't endure it again.
"Emma! Please check on that dog," I yelled from the kitchen, but apparently, the loud TV didn't let him hear me calling. I decided to go check it out myself.
I wiped my hands clean and turned off the stove. Opening the kitchen door, I walked through the backyard to the front door, where there was a large mango tree that Lily was seriously barking at. Her tail was stiff, eyes wide and serious in her barks.
"Lily shut up!" I yelled, but Lily wouldn't stop barking at the tree. I gently walked closer to see what she was barking at.
Perfectly camouflaged and curled at a tree branch. Its body was shiny in the evening sun and was a black snake the length of Emma's belt.
Out of fear, I ran back, yelling, "Emma snake o!" forgetting to carry Lily along with me.
And like a man who had caught the speed of lightning, Emma quickly sprang up from his seated position in the parlour straight to Lily and yanked her away from danger.
"What are you thinking? Get her out of there first” Emma said, handing me Lily, who still wouldn't stop barking at the tree to me. "Keep an eye on it while I call Oga Tunde," Emma instructed.
I stood there frozen like the biblical Lot's wife. My eyes glued to the tree, ready to yell when I see it try to escape and also praying that Emma returns quickly with Oga Tunde. He was known in the neighbourhood to be a snake breeder.
A few minutes later, Emma returned with Oga Tunde, each one of them wielding a long stick and a machete. With bravery and courage, he proceeded to say some inaudible words, which Emma explained to me as him trying to talk to the snake. Then like a man who knew his world, he carefully guided the snake into a sack.
"Is that your snake sir?" I asked, still scared as I watched him tie the sack tightly.
"No, my snakes are domesticated. This is a wild one. Your dog must be a brave dog to be barking up the tree with such a snake on it," he replied, swinging the bag across his shoulders.
I gently gave Lily back rubs. "Yeah, she is"
"I'll get this to safety now. Maybe I'll come back later for that pot of stew cooking in your kitchen" he joked.
I smiled, "No problem. Thank you, sir." Then I proceeded back to my kitchen, leaving Emma to see him off.
From that day onwards, I tried not to take Lilly's barks as mere barks. Especially when he's barking up a tree.