Lizard Dreams
Leny the Lizard is a Tucson Banded Gecko who hitchhiked all the way from Tucson to Dallas in our moving van. When the movers arrived on a hot June day, and opened the big double doors, this little lizard hopped out and crawled into the grass.
The movers pointed him out, and my darling child looked at him. His tail was gone, perhaps in the crush of boxes or the vigorousness of jumping out. He looked at me with big eyes (the Kid, not the lizard), and that was that. We got a capture box and I took pity on him (both child and lizard).
One trip to the pet store and nearly $50 later, we had a reptile habitat and Leny was named, ensconced in the Kid’s room and happily dining on a teeny cricket or two. His tail grew back eventually. He waffles between mealworms and crickets as his favorite foods. Turn-ons: mealworm writhing. Turn-offs: cold weather.
Now is the winter of Leny’s discontent and it’s cold. He’s ok with it because he’s a lizard, but he spends his entire day and night under the lizard watering hole, which usually is empty. It’s more a beach attraction for the crickets who might live in the enclave for a few hours before becoming lunch. When he’s not dining or slinking around, Leny hangs out underneath the pond, like Hef in the Grotto.
I bothered him the other day to ascertain his status – living or dead? Alive. Dormant. Who turned on the lights?! he blinked, sides of his head pulsing quietly.
And there he stays, all day, under the pond – alone with his lizard thoughts, slithering through his winter lizard dreams.
Tomorrow, I will turn on the UV light, offer him some teeny crickets and see if he’s up for some caroling.