My Poor Basil

I nearly screamed today when I went outside to water my basil plant. It used to be green and healthy, its leaves nice and aplenty, growing just outside my back door. But it was nearly leafless today, the ones left in such poor shape and riddled with holes and marks of a pest which had feasted on it during the night. And next to the plant was the fat snail that stole my fresh basil leaves from me - that wonderful aromatic ingredient in my pasta dishes...argh...!!!

Shall I kill that snail? Shall I? Shall I?

I am so heart broken. I've never ever had any luck in growing anything, being so ignorant about all things that can grow from something so small as a seed (except perhaps of the homo sapien species which I have tried a hand in and succeeded twice.)That plant was growing so well that I planned to remove it into a bigger pot than its plastic one. And move it to my kitchen window. And make more pasta dishes. I had such great plans for that plant.

The last time I tried to plant something, I remember that I watered it with the water hose at 12 o'clock noon in Malaysia when the water was nearly boiling hot and so of course that was the end of my plant and my green finger aspirations. Well, it wasn't my fault! I didn't know any better - I was only 2 years old!

Did I say 2? No, sorry, I was only 22...

But I do not have the heart to kill that snail. Shall I remove it? Throw it somewhere? No, I think I shall have it killed. Before it causes more chaos and destruction to my peaceful life. But I'll wait for my husband to come back and ask him to do it. After all, I don't want to act jury and executioner here. Yes, that's what I'll do.

Sob, sob...damn that snail.