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Friday, July 1, 2011

My last rainfall

I have been debating for a number of days whether or not I should post this. My reasons for not wanting to would probably make sense only to me but they are there none the less.

We had a rather interesting Rainstorm a few days back. It was the kind of storm that could really take you back to a different point in your life. It was interesting because not only because of the Forecast but because of the events that transpired during the rainfall. The forecast was calling for some pretty severe storms, but when the rain started all we got was about 10 minutes or so of Semi heavy Rain and it then it stops. I had already shutdown the computer and air conditioning in preparation for a massive storm so after the little rain subsided I turned the air back on. Instead of jumping back on the computer I decided to do a little vacuuming and left the PC off.  

Ten minutes or so pass after the Rain had stopped and  I heard a huge clap of thunder, I mean obnoxiously loud house rumbling thunder, no lightning flash though just the thunder. I figured the storm had hit to the north and I was hearing a particularly bad strike from far off. A few more minutes pass by and the sun appears to be trying to poke its way through the clouds. Thinking nothing of it, I go back to vacuuming and my son continues to play Halo in the living room as he has been the entire time.

I would say after about five minutes after the thunder the power just suddenly shuts off. I thought I blew the breaker with the vacuum somehow, after all, it was no longer storming. A quick check in another room and a text from a friend assures me that the power is out throughout the neighborhood. My son tends to get a little frightened in these scenarios, he enjoys them after a bit but the sudden darkness and overwhelming sense that no one is there gets to him at first. I went into the living room with him, now regretting my choice to do housework with the lack of air conditioning.

Three minutes of no power was all I needed to realize that it was not coming back on anytime soon. It was also around that time I started to hear the familiar pinging of raindrops against the windows followed by the darkening of the afternoon sky. We opened up both widows for the cross breeze and settled into my recliner and started thinking of ways to pass the time.

During a previous power outage we had made up a game called flashlight eye spy, neither one of us could remember the rules so we just made up new ones. Every So often I would peer out the window across the room and although I see this sight every day it seemed to have taken on a new form that afternoon. The wind gently sweeping the lush green leaves of the tree directly outside the window, the rainfall washing over the leaves giving them a beautifully vivid green glow, the sound of the rain hitting the leaves and the windows and the passing cars, it all came together to paint a brand new portrait that would be forever etched into my memory.

And the smell! As soon as the smell hit me I was brought back to a time in my youth that I could never forget. Things were simpler then. I was staring out of my second story bedroom window, peering out into a tree as the spring rain was dancing among its leaves and the breeze was kissing my cheek and the wonderful grey of the sky was painting the canvas that would become my adolescent life.

I was hesitant to retell this tale on my blog because I am dying. I have said it before. I am not trying to capture sympathy but I think this knowledge is important for the story. I have not told my son how sick I really am. He only knows that something keeps me from working, but since it keeps me around him all the time he rarely has a reason to question it.

At that moment though. With him and me playing our games and the rainfall having triggered my fondest of memories, I pulled him close to me and asked him to quietly look out the window. I then told him that today would forever live on in our memories. I went into some more detail regarding things that are between just the two of us.

The power remained off for about two more hours. During that time we talked and played games and had a great time, So much So that when the power came back on we were both a little disappointed.

I have had a lot of memories that have brought me much joy throughout my life, but when I am at the end of my journey it will be this memory that will be my final thought. 

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