Death of an Aviator

I was able to locate him by following the noise he was making and get up close behind him. Then I gave him a two-second burst.

After that I held back and watched as he struggled to stay aloft but then he spun out of control and fell haphazardly until one wing brushed the ground, he somersaulted twice and then skidded to a stop.

My first instinct was to descend and give him another burst to make absolutely sure that I had finished him off but I knew that I had only a limited amount of effective ammo left. And who knew what further encounters I might be obliged to get involved in before I was able to get resupplied?

So I hung back, watching and waiting.

Only then did I reflect that he hadn’t done me any harm. That wasps eat caterpillars and greenfly and without them the world could be overrun with insects and spiders.

They really do have their place in nature and as much right to live as the rest of us, and that perhaps I should have tried to sweep him up and put him outside instead.

But to my shame I didn’t then finish him off as I perhaps should have done but returned to my desk, leaving the poor thing struggling feebly on the bathroom floor.

I have, however, avowed to do “the right thing” next time.