My very first night this rooster cock-a-doodle-dooed (CaDDing) in the middle of the night. I lifted my watch to check the time and nearly freaked with excitement. I kid you not people it was 00:00:00 or exactly midnight according to my watch. I wasn't even upset at being woken up. No I was impressed with this roosters incredible knack for telling time. Right then and there I named him Timex. Then he did it again at 1:30 and 2:45 and 3:15 and 4:20 and... basically this stupid rooster has not stopped CaDDing since I got here.
It always starts the same way. I can hear his stupid little chicken wings flapping and then he goes off. He doesn't stop until he wakes up at least one more rooster in the village and then they CaDD to each other for a few minutes and then stop. Sometimes he goes so long without a reply that the dogs start barking and then the donkeys bray. Timex is infamous at waking up the whole village. He used to live in a tree right outside my door. I ran out of my room in the middle of the night in my underware more times than I can count. I would shake the tree he was in vigorously until he fell out and then I would try and kick him as he flapped towards the ground. Next I would chase him while cursing and he would barely escape through that little hole in the fence and I would go back to bed and pray that this is the night he is eaten by a wild animal in his vulnerable position on the ground.
He learned my ways though. As you can clearly see in the epic photo of him staring down the moon, he has migrated to a newer and seemingly safer position on top of the sheep shed. I can't get to him without a long stick but at least he is further away from my room. I really hate this rooster. The very first phrase I learned to say in Sesotho was Ke rata o ja nama ea mokoko, which literally translates "I like to eat the meat of roosters". At first my family laughed thinking I meant to say chicken. I now make an effort to drop the phrase at least every other day and they now know I am serious. I can only hope for a delicious Thanksgiving rooster.
Peace
Lesotho's only KFC franchise appears to be held in Maseru. It might be time to expand their brand. I would negotiate though for renaming rights; KFR would better suit your village.
ReplyDeleteFranchise or not, I would definitely encourage these midnight runs in your underwear, screaming like a banshee while this tasty entree laughs from his sheep shed.
- Mark Lotspeich
DeleteI've lived with a retarded rooster too and know what it's like. There's only one option
ReplyDeleteSo, now that we know the stories of how Timex became an attack rooster, I think I understand why!!!
ReplyDelete