RAIN...

 

RAIN...

It's 7:15 am on this cold and rainy Tuesday morning (in contrast to yesterday, which at this time was already at a temperature almost the same as today's, 21ºC, but with a feeling of warmth). As I've said a few times, the São Paulo climate doesn't follow any logic. In one day it can be infernally hot, the next day, everything changes and we are forced to take our coat out of the wardrobe. That's when it doesn't all happen on the same day. Often, at this or any other time of the year, you leave the house wrapped up, because the weather is cold. Suddenly, without warning, the temperature soars and you have to peel yourself off. Then, as if by magic, the sky drops a downpour on the earth and if you're not prepared, you'll take an unexpected shower. Then the sun appears, with the cleanest face in the world, as if he had nothing to do with what happened... and long live the tropics!

The water is falling outside. Calm, peaceful. Its noise is pleasant, it invites us to stay under the covers a little longer. Too bad it's not possible to do that, at least for me and for others who have to fulfill their commitments. Well, at least my little one gets to make the most of her right to sleep through the sound of the rain. As I did when I was her age. My God, how delicious it was to hear the sound of water hitting the roof... and that chill that accompanied the rain... and the smell of plants, that intoxicating perfume spreading throughout the air, the smell of wet earth ... no, there was nothing hotter (and beautiful) than that. I think I told you before that my house looked like a forest... not of trees, but of flowers. Yes, my mom loves flowers, and our backyard was full of them. Dahlias of all colors and sizes, palms, evergreen, roses (my mother's favorites are the red ones, but she had several species planted in the backyard), lilies, calla lilies, sunflowers, daisies... colors and perfumes. When it rained, that delicious smell of wet earth, together with the perfume that the flowers exhaled, made us feel like we were in heaven. Of course, not everything was wonderful. In fact, the house had some leaks (and who never had leaks at home, in the old days) and we had to be careful not to get wet, but...

Close to the house, the forest was dense, and there was a large calypalus. The eucalyptus trees were very beautiful. But its smell... My God in Heaven, what a delicious thing... when the wind blew from east to west (yes, we lived westwards in relation to the eucalyptus forest) and the smell of its leaves reached until us, there was nothing more pleasant to feel. Outside, of course, hearing that sound of the wind passing through the leaves... I can't describe how beautiful that was.

During the rain, silence prevailed in the forest. The little animals took shelter and were quiet in their holes and nests. But when the rain passed... the flight of birds was sure. Bem-te-vis, goldfinches, bullfinches, sparrows, sparrows... birds of all sizes and colors took to the skies and filled nature with their beautiful chirp, thanking Nature for having provided them with such a spectacle. Butterflies came to visit the garden, landing from flower to flower. At that time there were several species of butterflies around here, today at most you find a lonely Vanessa looking for a flower to perch on... ladybugs, beetles of various types and sizes, baby birds, cicadas... My God, how beautiful it was...

Usually, when the rain stopped, my mother used to go get firewood for cooking. Of course it wasn't the ideal time, after all wet wood is a little hard to burn. But as the rain used to fall without warning, and the stock of firewood was usually for a day at the most, there was no other solution than to face the wet grass and look for fuel to be able to make meals at night and in the morning...

The three of us went, my mother in front, with her ax to cut the wood she needed, my little brother and I right behind. The offer of wild fruits in the region was great. So, while we went through the woods, we picked blackberries, strawberries, juas and other delicacies, and ate... My God, a ripe juá is the most delicious thing in the world, there's nothing like it... the wild strawberry has a flavor that these strawberries we buy at supermarket fairs will never have... what about blackberries? Very different from the blackberries we know today, they were so sweet and soft that they simply melted in your mouth... yes, even with all the mishaps faced in our daily lives, this here was paradise...

Did I mention the puddles of water that formed, especially in the grass clumps? Wow, it was just beautiful... and the streams? When you were near one of them when the rain started, My God, what a beautiful thing... the little fish were in an uproar... oh yes, this was a fishy country. you found fish in virtually all lakes, large or small. And they went to the dam through the small rivers that crossed the whole region...

Wow, it's about time to stop... It's seven fifty minutes. In half an hour I have to go to the office. The rain is thinner, it has turned into a fine drizzle. Still, I'll probably need to bring my umbrella...

Well, see you tomorrow, when God willing, I'll be back to talk a little more... May God bless us all, allowing us to have a happy Tuesday, where everything we wish for is granted to us as far as possible. Stay with God. Kisses to all and see you tomorrow, God willing...