Mosquito Lure

Ummmm... that would be my head.

Our bed is king sized, our mosquito net is not. Last year was comical at night- me getting up 10 times a night to go to the bathroom while way pregnant, hurdling a body sized pillow and crawling under the mosquito net. We really hate the net for us (we cover the girls nightly), so are postponing it as long as possible. The cool season has just started, so the mosquitoes aren't in full force just yet. How they get into the house is beyond me, but they always do get in. We racket several each night, and it never fails that in the wee hours of the evening, one will always find its way into our bedroom. I usually awake to several bites on an outstretched arm, which peeks from beneath mounds of blankets and pillows. Our air con is set at 19 C (frigging cold), so usually only one arm and my head peer out. Once the biting begins, I stealthily withdraw the vulnerable arm beneath the safety of the covers, leaving only my head out. I wait. The mosquito takes the bait of my head being out and lands delicately atop. I wait for the perfect moment and pounce.

It is ridiculous that I do this most evenings. It's kind of like a tiny hair on your skin, just that tiny touch that drives you bonkers. Maybe I have crazy senses (you should have seen me when I was pregnant- smell, touch, hearing- all super ninja strength sensory). But the mosquitoes are done for once I decide to hunt them with the self head lure. Sometimes, unfortunately, the pillowcase bares the mark of the battle.

Most mornings I wake up accomplished from fighting the good fight. Some days I awake defeated with the mark of the mosquito plastered across my forehead, but in Dhaka it is a common scene.