My Tryst with Ants

Write an article about ants? This does seem like an unusual topic, doesn’t it? This idea came to me when hearing one of the discourses of Swamiji on zoom live. I remember him talking about how an ant can search and find a grain of sugar in a huge pile of sand or something similar (pardon me Swamiji if I did not remember the quote right, I tried to search for this particular discourse again but could not find it).

Where does this connect to my story?

Quite a few years ago, during early years of my marriage, my husband was posted in a small town in Tamil Nadu. We went there to start a new phase of our life. I was a young mother then, with two little children. We searched for a house to rent and found one which looked neat; it was right in the middle of a big plot in a good locality with lots of space for children to run around. This looked good!

Then came the next part. This was a government construction, and the quality of construction was far from good. The effect of it was seen especially in the walls, especially the kitchen walls. There were lots of tiny holes and crevices in the walls and ants seemed to be coming out of it all the time, swarming over the shelves and counters and disturbing my cooking!

This is not a such a big problem, I thought. I wiped them away. I tried my best to keep my kitchen spic and span but to no avail. They could spot a tiny grain of sugar or sooji or rice anywhere in the kitchen. One grain and the whole battalion would come out, marching with such purpose that they could put even a troop of soldiers marching into a battlefield to shame!

I needed to use some medicines which kill or repel pests. But then, I could not use anything that was poisonous because it had to be put on the kitchen counter. I tried all sorts of things, including haldi, rangoli powder, etc. The effect lasted for sometime but very soon, they were back in full glory on my kitchen counter.

As I was trying all methods, I began to notice small patterns. Small red ants come in summer and small black ants come when its colder. Small red ants sting, big red ants sting much harder! Aaow! Black ants don’t bite but are just as industrious in disrupting my work in the kitchen just as others. Then these really small ants come in winter. They look harmless. But mind you, they smell! If they come near any of your food items, you better throw them away. No one can eat them.

One morning, I noticed a whole lot of small black ants still on one entire wall. They looked strange! Why did they come and why are they not moving at all! That evening it rained. Another day I noticed them again the same way on the wall. That evening also it rained! Okay, I figured something out. (Do I sound like I am writing a thesis on ants? 😊). From then onwards, I could predict rain for my neighbours with 100% accuracy. They would wonder and ask, ‘But how did you know?’ I would smile quietly at them and say, ‘I just know’.

I asked my husband to get some construction guys to check the places where ants were coming out and fill those holes with some filler cement. They came and did so. I felt relieved that I had solved the problem at last! I got up the next morning and went to the kitchen happily to make my morning tea. And what did I see! These sneaky little fellows had found some other holes (or did they bore the new holes themselves?) and were slowly forming a new path on my kitchen counter. Damn!

Alright I will finally get rid of these ants! I got pest control done. The pest control guys did their job but told me that this problem could not be solved by them. Pest control to avoid this type of swarming of pests should have been done during house construction itself as per normal procedure. The treatment they were doing now would only have a temporary effect and what they said was true. There they were, back again!

I told my husband, please let’s move to another house. Don’t know how to get rid of these ants! How do I do my work in the kitchen? But then, we had settled down in this locality so well and my children had so many friends here. Did not sound like a practical decision.

The next day morning, I wrapped a clean towel around myself so that I don’t get bitten, stood at the kitchen counter, wondering again how to do my work. These little fellows have outwitted me. Then I saw them moving in a line just along the edge of the counter. Where were they going? They were not even carrying food! I then noticed that they were just going on a path they had created for themselves along the edge of my kitchen counter. I started cooking. They continued along their path. They did not disturb me as long as I did not disturb them. A wave of realization came over me! They just wanted their path! They did not want to trouble me at all! If I just let them move on their path, I could continue with my work. From that moment onwards, I developed this new relationship with my ants, I can call it romancing with ants.

Once in a while I felt a little naughty.  I would put a grain of sugar in their path and watch the ants go disarray and then get back to their path lugging the grain of sugar along with them. I lived in harmony with ants and they with me. This new realization brought in so much peace and feeling of acceptance in me. Well, I guess, all living beings were meant to coexist together. This kind of living continued for a few months more till we moved back to Bangalore. But can you imagine the expression on the faces of my visitors when they saw me peacefully and happily cooking in the kitchen with ants and telling them, don’t worry, they don’t come near the cooking at all! After hearing my story, would you have come to my house for lunch were I living in that home? Come on, where is spirituality if other living beings don’t become a part of our life? 😊 I challenge you!