So while being bored and walking at the garden around our house, i chanced to see and stumbled upon these rare treasures.. on a small kalamansi tree (i am not quite sure if i should call it a tree since it's only about one foot tall, anyhoo, since I've already qualified it as small, so I'll let it be a tree), I've noticed two brown caterpillars (both have white bands and a small projections around their soft bodies) secured on the the leaf axils of the leafless tree. Seeing their dire situation, having left with no leaves to eat and being exposed to a number of detrimental factors, my mind raced on strategies to save them. I pondered that since i found them in a kalamansi tree (a leafless tree at that), if ever I'd rescue them and put them into safety, i ought to ward them in yet another kalamansi tree (God, I can hardly believe myself to have such logic. *laughs*).
Then, i remembered that we've got this tall kalamansi tree near our gate. Without thinking twice, i lowered myself and with the aid of a small stick that i found in the stack of rotting leaf litters, i slowly picked up the bigger one, careful not to puncture its mushy body. Slowly, i stood up and walked briskly towards my target while keeping watch on the fragile individual on the stick. Once there, I've strategically put the little organism on the apex of a small branch where leaves were lush and where I can always see them every time I check. After which, i rushed to get the smaller caterpillar. Again, I put it at the apex of a branch adjacent to that of the other caterpillar. And so, they're set. Confident that they'll be just fine in their places, I continued to marvel around our garden and set off for another enriching, novel, and heroic adventure. But after a few minutes of walking and stopping over seemingly interesting things, I got tired and thought that I guess God wouldn't mind me resting. Besides, I've already had my share of heroic stunt for the day.
Days passed and I've come to forget about my little caterpillars. Then, earlier this day, a butterfly, sporting vivid yellow green and black wings, flew in front of me. Right then and there, I was reminded of the caterpillars I've saved a few days ago. With a sudden burst of excitement and euphoria, and with a camera in hand, i rushed to see and take a picture of them ( sadly, my cam's battery was about to get depleted, so i rushed to take their pictures and ended up with this ludicrous image [see picture at the left]). Among the raggedly eaten leaves and about to drop its share of excreta to nourish the soil, i saw one of them. On the other branch, however, I was astonished to see how one have grown so fast and so big even for only a couple of days. Smiling, I took a photo (the one you see here) and rushed back home to prepare to go to work. It's already 9:00 in the morning and I am friggin one hour late for work. But who would mind being late? For these two mushy and frail caterpillars, I'm their savior and hero, and for that, I'm one proud papa.
And so I arrived at work at exactly 9:57a.m., very, very late but was really exuberant and filled with good aura nonetheless.. I am so excited to the prospect of having those caterpillars undergo drastic change in morphology through metamorphosis and eventually become a full-pledged butterfly, ready to struck the world in awe and marvel over its flamboyant wings and charm every organism with its subtle and care-free flight.
