‘NARICHEER’

  

On the contrary, the small bats, (Rhynchomycteris naso), which were in plenty were a menace to our fruit garden. They devoured the fruits of our guava tree which was one of our favourite fruits. I have noticed these snatch lizards from our rooms and eating it whilst hanging from the ceiling of our verandah. They also love cashew apple, ripe areca-nut and other fruits and suck honey from the bunch of banana flowers. They are locally called the ‘Naricheer’.  One day, I spotted a few of them coming out through the ‘Kilivathil’ (a small window) beneath the gabled roof. I went to the attic to locate their hideout. I was shocked to gaze at so many of them hanging upside down inside an unused cupboard, the sliding doors of which were always left open. They must have got an inkling that we were trying to intrude into their territory. So, they started screaming; some of them flew out in protest; some others still hovered around us as if to scare us. I tried to strike them down and succeeded only in getting one of them which was hit on its wing. When I took it to ‘Ammachi’ she told us, “They are not birds. Most often people mistake them for birds due to the wings they possess. They are actually a mammal, which deliver their young ones and feed them just like human beings.” We did a thorough investigation on the victim. It is the membranous wings extending from its hind limbs that make them capable of flight. When I forced open its mouth we noted his sharp teeth with which he used to grind and eat all our guavas from the trees. We went to check out again in the attic with a lighted torch for more of these mammals. We spotted a small one clinging to the teat of his mother. The cupboard was full of their excreta which emitted a strong stench. Jacob and I decided to chase them all out. We closed the entrance to the ‘Kilivathil’ of attic to keep them away. The menace still continued as our guavas were still being attacked. It was then that Rajamma Vazhavelil told us that these ‘Naricheers’ are medicinal and they are good for asthma patients. She seemed rather keen to get a few of them. So, we opened the door of the ‘Kilivathil’ to the attic. In a few days time they started to come in again in large numbers. Little did they know it was a trap for them as a few days later we put an old fishing net on the entrance to the cupboard and caught them all. We gave them to Rajamma who was very happy and grateful to us. 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com