Some Musings.....

I have always enjoyed rainfall.

I particularly used to enjoy the early weeks of June when the sky would suddenly darken. Cuckoo bird being the harbinger of the rain used to render the air with its distinctive cries. With strong cool winds blowing and the clouds threatening to rain ...it used to be such a welcome change from the sweltering heat of May. Our targets was clearly the mango tree with the ripe "out of reach" mangoes on the topmost branches. With every sway of the branches we would be running all over the place to catch the falling mangoes. There would be thunder and lightning but surprisingly it never used to rain in such evenings.

The first big drops of the season would bring in its wake the distinct smell of mud which to this day stirs memory. As though it was the cue, the frogs would come out of their hibernation and croak throughout the night for the rest of the season. The crickets used to sound awfully loud in the still night. I no longer hear these sounds and I sorely miss them. Maybe they all have got buried under the concrete jungle.

I distinctly recollect my childhood days... when returning from school I used to put my feet on the running rain water hoping to stop the flow...taking immense pleasure on the water pushing past me to keep its appointment with the ocean. The troublesome part ofcourse was the little pebbles which the water used to deposit in my sandal and irritate me for the rest of my journey back home.

When it was pouring cats and dogs, as a kid I used to close my umbrella and enjoy the water pattering behind my ears. It used to rain with such gusto that the rains drops used to sting. The fun part of course was to watch few people who have forgotten their umbrellas and huddled under the nearby shop roofs wondering what's with this kid...and me thinking what reason would I give to my mother as to why I was dripping wet despite carrying my umbrella...

I always thought that Mumbai rains were the meanest... a small downpour of 15 minutes was enough for the roads to be flooded...it never occurred to me at that age about lack of drainage system, inefficiencies of municipalities....it just gave me another chance to fold paper and make fabulous boats and let it flow places where no man has gone before!

After the rain has truly set in, some of the seasonal tenants of the earth used to make their way out. Though I did not particularly like earthworms, I used to be fascinated by their crawl. They used to drag themselves across the ground leaving a trace in its wake. Crabs of different sizes used to crawl out of their freshly dug hole and disappear at the slightest vibration.

Watching the rain mercilessly beating outside with accompanying lightning and thunder shows, through the window of my Lagos apartment, I can only wonder at nature how unique it can be.

Till next time ...