Rain

Whenever it rains and I smell that unmistakable moist earth smell it draws me right back to my childhood. When we moved up into the mountains, I was very young, about five, our house had a woven leaf roof. I never liked this roof because when it rained hard it used to leak.

I remember one night in particular. There had been a ceremony in the village where we lived 'a rain dance' because there had been no rain for ages. Well that night there was rain. The sky went an inky black and the thunder was deafening. It was raining so hard that our poor roof had sprung several leaks and was pouring into the store room (under the gutter which was not great planning on the part of the previous owner) As neither me or my brother could sleep my mum had ropes us in to empty the containers dotted around the house collecting water.

I vividly remember going out on the veranda of the house (which was a good six feet off the ground) to empty the container over the side. Water was pouring off the roof like a waterfall, which was quite scary for a 5 year old! Suddenly across the yard and in the yard opposite there was a deafening noise and a blinding light of a lightening bolt. It scared me so much that I threw the whole container of water over me. I remember being really cross because they were my favourite 'moon and star ' pyjamas!

No, my most fond memories of rain were in the new house, which had a type of tiled asbestos roof. When the rain fell it was a gentle drumming noise.
The wind used to blow through the house bringing the scent of water in the air. then we would wait with anticipation. Sometimes we could even see the rain coming along the path. One time it rained on one side of the house but not the other.
If it rained hard during the day, we would put on our 'rain clothes' and go out in the warm rain. Sometimes we would put the tin wash basins on our heads and run up and down under the water as it poured off the roof. This was deafening and great fun.
The favorite game was to slide down the slope by our house in the mud. The more we slid the more slippery it became and the faster we would go. We would get covered from head to toe in red, brown mud but we did have fun!!
Then at night I would put my head down on my pillow and go to sleep to the gentle drumming on the roof.
Even now I love that gentle, therapeutic sound, the smell of rain on the wind, and thunder streaking the skies.