It’s 2:30 in the afternoon. The air feels sticky with heat and humidity. My music room, which is on the far east end of the school property, is by far the warmest room in the entire school. So much so, it is nick-named “Africa”! My (and Sherilyn’s) music room is on the second floor, has a tin roof with no insulation, and small windows lining the wall. On days like today, days with not even a whisper of a breeze, the music room turns into an oven. I’m sure some days the temperature soars well over 40 degrees! For this reason, I have decided to teach my Grade 4 music students in their own classroom. It is warm in there too, but despite the heat, the children do remarkably well. At 3:00, the dismissal bell rings and school is out.
As I watch the children energetically run to the security gate, waiting to be picked up by their parents, I feel an almost visibly thick air around me, and glancing up I see dark clouds rolling in. A warm, moist breeze picks up at once and I already feel the first large drops of rain falling. I spot Mattais walking towards me, his face red and sweaty, but full of smiles. “I like this weather, Dad! I think it is going to rain!” (Rain here is always a welcome relief!) I give him a hug as he runs up to me, and as we head toward the office for a few supplies, the clouds let go their torrents in an instant.
We both run for cover, and decide to wait for the shower to pass. Having waited for nearly ten minutes, I tell Tais to wait for me, while I dash across the soccer field to far away “Africa” for my bag and car keys. Honestly, I never realized how fast I could get soaked! In less in ten seconds, and that, streaking across the field! I quickly grab my bag and keys. As I head for the stairs, I’m shocked to meet a drenched Tais at the bottom waiting for me. He is grinning from ear to ear, and as we look each other over, we have a good chuckle. What will Mom say??Once again we cross the field, which looks more like a swamp now. Our feet are soaking wet by the time we reach the van. We truly are wet from head to toe!
Phew! We’re dry inside the van. My cell phone rings. Sherilyn asks if we can come home right away because our maid, Daisy, needs a ride home. She usually rides a motor concho (motorcycle taxi) to our house, but in this kind of weather, who wants to ride a motorbike? Over the phone, I hear what must be an extremely loud thunder clap. Sherilyn says, “Did you hear that? It was so loud, it just set off all the car alarms in the neighbourhood here!” Wow. I promise her I will be there as quick as I can.
Going down the Auto Pista is slow. Traffic is a mess, and water is pooling everywhere! As we are waiting at the lights at the bottom of a hill, we watch a lone motorcyclist plow upwards through a river of water gushing down. Once the light turns green, we proceed on home, sending waves and spray of rain water to the left and right of us. “Dad!” Tais exclaims, “this is like sitting on a jet-ski!” I chuckle. How true!
I pull into what was our apartment parking lot. It somehow resembles Venice a little. The water is pooling at the entrance of the stairway. The neighbour lady on the first floor is sweeping water out of her front door. For once, I am glad we live waaaaayyy up on the 4th floor! Every few seconds the lightning flashes immediately followed by a loud clap of thunder. Each time, car alarms start wailing.
I drop Daisy off at the local supermarket, from where she can ride a taxi home. Driving home, I reflect on God’s power in such a storm. I have never experience anything like it. So much water in such little time, a foot of water on the main roads and storm sewers that just can’t keep up.
As I near our apartment once again, the rain subsides as quickly as it came. The thunder is now a distant rumble. I reflect on a few things. I am reminded of Noah’s flood. How God opened the skies and let out the rain. I also have to think that our God is sovereign, He does as He pleases, and we stand in awe of His power, like you read in Psalm 115:3.
About 10 minutes after the storm started.
The rain drops were huge!
another 10 minutes later....The storm sewers just couldn't keep up!
Down the street from our apartment
Just after it stopped raining. Not sure how this concho made it through the "puddle"
