Whew! I finally did it, but not without a racing heart, strange sounds like a barking dog and heavy breathing. The sounds and breathing were my way of bolstering myself with courage. (Too bad this episode was not recorded on video, because I’m sure it would be hilarious.) This is the third time I’ve encountered the gecko since he (or she) scampered in when I opened the door about 2 weeks ago. I’ve heard comments that I have a new friend  or roommate and the lizard even received a name:  Cosmo. Before I dive into the details of my most recent encounter, I will recount the last two times it appeared and quickly disappeared.

My first encounter was a few nights ago when I opened up the dishwasher and saw it on the bottom. The dark figure against the white interior was striking, which made me take a few quick steps back. Goodness gracious. How was I going to capture it? I have heard they zip, zag and disappear in the blink of an eye. My aunt said she has captured them by putting a cup on top of them, thus trapping it underneath and then taking a piece of cardboard and sliding it underneath. I bent down and put the cup toward the slithery creature, but it scampered about from side to side and then went to the very front, where I thought I had it. No such luck! He went even further underneath the rim of the dishwasher. I tried to coax him out, but the skittish thing took off and went to the junction point of the door hinge. Okay, it was not going to happen tonight. Perhaps another time I would be more successful.

The second time I saw it was a day later when I was baking a pizza. Knowing the pizza would be ready in a couple of minutes, I walked over to check how much time was left on the timer. Woo hoo! There it was on the top edge of the oven door. Now that I think of it, this lizard obviously has a thing with doors. I was psyching myself up to catch him when the timer buzzer rang. Off it ran and just where I had no idea. Okay. Okay then. Another time then.

During conversations, I heard that geckos like to come out at night and in the early morning. They are also very fast and hard to catch. Someone advised me to buy a net, as it would probably be easier to catch – and also to get used to geckos because it is a way of life in Florida. I supposed it’s better than having a mouse in the house. Although, I still find it disconcerting and a foreign experience. I just wish the gecko would go outside where it belongs. Every day now I am asked if I saw Cosmo. And tonight, someone said I should say goodnight to Cosmo, my pet. I explained that no, it is not my pet and offered to put the phone on speakerphone for him to say goodnight to Cosmo.

This evening, a short time later, perhaps an hour or so, I walked to the kitchen and saw a small figure on the white tile. Aha. There’s Cosmo. My mind began to race. What do I do? Will it scamper away to parts unknown again before I have a chance to catch it? I would do my best. I went into the kitchen to get the medium-sized green plastic cup. As I turned around, I saw it was still there. I slowly walked over to it and placed the cup on top of the gecko. To my relief, it was under the plastic cup. But to my utter horror, I had accidentally cut a small piece of its tail and it was still wriggling. This really weirded me out. I became somewhat frantic. Not only that, but the floor was wet. I realized it had relieved itself on the floor. What to do? Yes, I have to do it, as there is no one else who can do it for me. I ran into the bedroom closet to get a piece of cardboard and was very selective about the size and thickness. I wanted to succeed and give Cosmo freedom.

I made deliberate footsteps to the kitchen area and was huffing and puffing because of my fear (certainly not from overexerting myself). Then, I made low sounds like a baffled dog barking erratically, as I neared the overturned green cup. I slid the cardboard slowly and watched the gecko move on top of it. I thought to myself, ‘I am almost there. You can do it.’ I walked to the door and left it open. Then, I walked back to retrieve the cup. I lifted the cardboard and kept the plastic cup firmly against it. As I made my way to the door, I laid the cup down about two feet from my door. I decided I should only leave a small opening in the door before I lifted the cup up to release Cosmo. I gingerly picked up the green plastic cup and it moved to the left. I backed up with the cup and cardboard and shut the door.

The episode was almost done except for the mess I found on the floor. There were two hello liquid spots that I had to clean. I got a paper towel and cleanser to wipe the floor clean. This was quite an experience, and I’m sure other geckos will find their way into my house. I suppose practice makes perfect.