Rain at last!

It was such a sweet relief to finally welcome the rains after the hot, muggy days we sweltered through the last couple of months. I for one have no complaints whatsoever about it raining so hard that you can hardly see ahead of you for the sheer driving force of water bucketing down to drench and refresh the thirsty earth.

I love the way the earth smells after a good shower and the way the trees and foliage are washed clean and bright after months of being covered in a thick film of dust. I wouldn’t be surprised if children thought the leaves of trees were permanently brown rather than green these last few months….. I began to think so myself!

A couple of weeks ago, I was on my way home from class, on a bike with Chandana, and we got caught to such a ‘storm’ and the two of us got soaked right through. Poor Chandana’s ID had got washed right out and his wallet was soggy and beyond redemption. Fortunately we had the foresight to wrap our mobile phones in a polythene bag and they were safe. But in spite of the minor discomfort and of course the washed out ID and soggy wallet, I enjoyed that ride in the rain. Sheltering seemed useless with the gusting winds, and an umbrella was certainly no help!! Plus the rain did not seem to be in a hurry to cease either. So we decided to enjoy our impromptu bathe and wend our way home. There was a pagan kind of thrill in feeling the chill wind lashing through your hair and the chilled needles of water stinging your cheeks, while the wheels of the bike churned out a veritable fountain of water on either side of us as we ploughed our way through the swirling waters gushing on the roads.

We passed the Beira Lake and gazed fascinated at the misted view of the new pergola across the bridge where we could see people huddled together watching the trees bending with the force of the wind and usually calm waters of the lake whipped to waves of frenzy.

I was soon home, and after a quick shower, warmly wrapped up with a hot mug of cocoa in my hands….. everything was just right in my world!