PonyTales

Match Box Spider is a very popular pet among the boys in my neighbourhood. They are actually small dark grey spiders that are caught at the nearby abandoned ‘lalang’ bushes, and placed into empty match box. One spider in one box.

The boys often have spider fight matches to see who’s spider is the most powerful.

My brother help me to catch one tiny spider and place it into a match box that I got from my dad. At first, I was a bit afraid of spidey and will often just slide open a very small gap on the match box to have a look at it. Sometimes, the little spidey will jump out from the gap and land on my hand. I would quickly run to my brother for help to keep spidey back into the match box.

I am actually afraid that spidey would bite me and I would turn into spidergirl…Hahaha (too much of cartoon here)

Once I learned that little spidey actually doesn’t bite, I became more brave and often just let spidey out on my palm. I never let spidey to participate in any spider fight matches because I am afraid that it would end up dead just like my other pets.

For a while, I was the protective, no fun type among the neighbourhood kids that keep match box spiders. Most of them are boys, in fact I was the only girl that was desperate enough to have a spider pet. It gets a little boring and felt out cast sometimes when I see that others are laughing loudly at those spider fight matches.

Not long after, due to peer pressure and loneliness, I succumbed to the game and let my little spidey into those cruel spider fight matches.

Little spidey was a fighter given the relatively smaller size. It managed to win some of the fights and I was so proud thou I felt nervous and I often cannot tell which spider wins. Sometimes, I even have difficulties identifying which is spidey cause they all look so alike…hahaha

My brother is the one who helped me in those games.

Later on, as I became more pro, I start to follow my brother and other kids to the bushes to catch more spiders. Most of the time, my brother is very reluctant to let me tag along as I am very slow and will often scream like a drama queen and disturb others.

One fine day, as usual the boys sneak out to the bushes to catch spiders, trying not to let me notice their activity. I found out very soon when I saw my brother leaving and I was in a hurry to tag along - I forgot to wear my slippers and was running very fast to catch up with the rest. The consequences - I stepped on broken coca cola bottle at the bushes and was bleeding very badly. Everyone was shocked and my brother quickly ran to my dad who is at the nearby coffee shop for help.

My dad came, saw what happen and quickly carry me back home to wash the wounds. I was crying buckets by then and taken to the clinic for a jab.

After the incident, my dad and mom forbids me (only) to play at the bushes and that also spell the end of my match box spider pet. Mom said that girls are not suppose to play with match box spider

I was sorta grounded and home bound for a while, as my feet was still heavily bandaged.

Everytime I saw my little empty aquarium, I longed for another pet but I dare not asked for any this time. I thought that my dad and mom would not allowed me to have any for a long long time.

Yes, I was without a pet for a long long time until one faithful day - I saw a green parrot sitting on top of the TV in the living room!!!

…to be continued…

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