Late at night.... and I had just encountered one of our resident rodents. It apparently tried to get a sneak peek at my room through the open door. In the process, it pushed the creaking old door and thus alerted me. No one moved while our eyes met. Then, the small thing turned away and left.

No drama, as I am not bothered either. I consider these chance meetings somewhat normal in a household, though a recent visit to a family member's, whose hygiene standard is remarkably higher than mine, got me thinking. My definition of normal might have gone off the mark.

However, I do think rats have been unjustly blamed for more than they deserve, given undue credits for man's follies.

In his book, The Black Death in London, historian Barney Sloane suggested that [black death] plague "spread so quickly that the rats could not be to blame."

'All the evidence I've looked at suggests it had to be person to person due to the speed by which it spread,' he said. — The Daily Mail

This is just another case of rats assuming blames. Well, we often attribute man's misconducts or less savoury acts to rats, or animals in general —to this day, I haven't found a satisfying explanation on how the term 'buaya darat' (terrestrial crocodile) for scoundrel came about— but rats seem to bear the brunt of these verbal —and physical, if you would just count rats, or what's left of them, on the streets, run over, squashed, and dead— abuse.

Why man can't stop blaming other creatures and be brave to bear the consequences of his own actions, I wonder. Because I cringe whenever political commentators and critics on tv call politicians who are corrupt rats. Rats don't corrupt. Men do.

The Rats of Senayan, you say? Don't call them rats! Call them trash!.

So, justice for rats, ay?