rain

As is usual at this time of year; I have started a writing challenge with a good friend… this year we have to write 4 pieces – 2 prose and 2 poems; with topics decided by friends. As I prefer prose; I’m writing prose pieces with a poem thrown in for good measure

These are my third pieces – a prose and poem topic “The rain didn’t stop us…“

They all looked out the window and sighed simultaneously. The low light, general greyness meant rain, again. It was the 3^rd day in a row. This was turning into another damp squib of a summer. As she turned to her guests, she forced a smile onto her face. This was not the holiday they had ordered. A Southern Hemisphere Christmas meant a BBQ on the beach; endless frolicking in the pool; lying outside with a book and an icy cold drink.

“As its still a little damp out there I have a plan” she said brightly. Brighter than she felt. She was desperate for a ‘day off’, a day when they could all amuse themselves. Even she was running out of things for people to do. She needed a spark of magic…

“Gather up your things, and we’ll go tour the Peanut Butter factory.”

There was a murmur of excitement. The PB factory was a local attraction. The owner was almost a Willy Wonka character; full of vision and dreams and wild ideas, and this time he had hit on the perfect recipe. Both for the product and the marketing.

Just peanuts, nothing else.

And all the hoopla and magic to stir everyone’s child within…

The smell of roasting peanuts meeting them way before the almost futuristic building. A giant PB jar in the carpark and a huge red rimmed tunnel led to the iconic red star on the doors. Her out of towners raced inside, pausing to take selfies by the Giant peanut butter jar.

They were met by the ever-smiling tour guide, who took them for their tour. She breathed a sigh of relief. Ordered a hot chocolate and found a seat near the window.

She sat remembering the Christmases and summers of her youth. The endless hot HOT days, when the tar on the roads melted. When the lawns turned brown – and the kids even browner. Days spent rambling around with friends, at each other’s houses. Playing with the sprinklers; buying ice blocks from the corner shops. And on very special days either a drive to the beach to splash amongst the waves; or a trip to the local pool to join 100s of others getting deliciously wet. And even on the rare occasion it seemed to rain; she remembered splashing in puddles, breathing in the welcome damp air. Watching the worms rise to the top. No raincoats: still in t shirts and shorts, barefooted, as children are wont to do. Laughing, splashing catching droplets…

She opened the weather app on her phone; forever hopeful that the sun was just around the corner… it looked promising for tomorrow…

She heard excited voices. They were returning. (“Who could get this excited about PB?” she wondered lol), but excited they were. The rain forgotten.

Cruising around the gift shop, she could hear a discussion about just how big a container they could squeeze into their hang luggage. And would they eat a 2.3kg bucket? T-shirts, dog bowls, PB slugs, all excitedly bought. And put into the bags with the familiar Red Star…

As they slowly wandered back to the car; through the drizzle; someone spied the food van in the car park. No ordinary van: this one was a HUGE chrome toaster!! More selfies, more excitement.

Someone saw a puddle next to the car, just ripe for splashing. Before she knew it, they were all outside playing in the rain, splashing, laughing, letting the drops run down their faces…

And just for a moment, she remembered that childhood pleasure of simple freedom, when the rain never stopped you….

-//-//-//-//-//-//-

London in winter

Grey clouds

Drizzle

Cold dampness

2 friends

A one-off day together

A tourist

A tourist for the day

A Wheel

A View

So Much Laughter

A Spot of Magic

Pleased they hadn’t let the rain stop them….