Another Cockroach Story

Like many men I enjoy reading a book and having a smoke while sitting on the toilet in my home.
 
I was renting a lovely furnished apartment on the third floor of a ten storey building in the city of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand.
 
I'd see the occasional cockroach skittering away in the ground floor parking lot. During the hot season I saw quite a few dead ones there, sometimes even in the hallways of the building. They seemed so large; I measured one’s length at 5cm. I always felt disgust and I confess, fear of these critters. Over the years I'd encountered and fought fierce battles against some of these flying warriors.
 
I remember a prolonged fight with one in South America and another lengthy battle with one in my house on the Island of Phuket in Thailand.
Cockroaches stress me instantly; fight or flight – most times I elect to run, it takes less time to recover.
 
Back to this story:
 
Sitting on the toilet I was just taking a deep drag from my cigarette. I was deeply engrossed in the fourth Harry Potter novel when I felt something walk over my left foot, gently tickling my skin. I looked down between my legs and saw a giant cockroach, probably tired from the 41C temperature outside, casually walk across the cool tile floor to my other foot.
 
I reacted instantly. The heavy Harry Potter novel flew out of my hand into the sink, my cigarette landed in the bathtub as I, petrified as usual, swung my legs up into the air to let the roach pass. A scream escaped my throat. My sweat soaked body, legs up high, slid down into the toilet. With eyes focused on the cockroach I slid down even further into the bowl. The critter stopped, turned, looked at me and waved its antennas in a sweet greeting. I swear I heard it snicker at my dilemma. Dilemma? Until now I hadn't even realized how deep I was stuck in the toilet bowl. Helpless and totally embarrassed I watched as the roach casually wandered out of my bathroom, along the length of my kitchen and turning right to exit into the cooler hallway, and then the roach disappeared.
 
Ass deeply sunk down into the toilet bowl, legs spread up in the air I felt not only stuck but deeply humiliated from my fear. It took me a long time to free myself from the toilet prison.
 
Did the wandering roach enjoy its power over my frail ego? For sure!
 
Pebo