The Drought is Almost Broken

We have had storms all around us the past few weeks, but cannot get any rain. My lawn is dying and my trees and shrubs in the yard are thirsty. Last night, I was sitting at this computer writing some emails when I thought I saw a flash of lightning which was strange it being so late in the evening. Almost instantly my phone rang.

“Hello?” I asked wondering who would call so late. It was almost midnight.

“Did you just see lightning?” My father asked.

We are both weather obsessed. My father has an automatic underground sprinkler system for his lawn and has run it for weeks. He fears an astronomically high water bill this month. I think the whole town is praying for rain.

Suddenly, another flash lightened up my darkened den.

“Yeap, that was lightning,” I replied.

“It is weird this happening so late after sunset,” Dad said. “We have lost the heating of the day.”

“Pulse thunderstorms,” I replied.

“Meet me in the backyard,” Dad said.

We both hung up the phone. I got my little mag-light flashlight and walked down into my parent’s backyard. Dad was standing next to the huge old pecan tree behind his house. The lightening flashed another time. This time it was closer. Maggie ran fast circles around us she was so glad to be set free and out of the confines of my home.

“Dammit girl, you go!” My father said to Maggie as we both laughed and watched her run her little heart out.

“She is wound up tonight,” I replied. “I will never get her to sleep.”

The lightning flashed even brighter this time. I started to count…

“One Mississippi, two Mississippi…”

The thunder rumbled loudly in the distance ending my count.

“Two miles away and it seems to be getting closer,” I said.

I and Dad both walked over to some chairs and sat down. The wind began to pick up. It was a cool outflow from that storm and felt wonderful on this hot July night.

“Your granddaddy would sit out on the porch on a hot summer’s night like tonight and watch the heat thunderstorms in the distance as he smoked one cigarette after another,” Dad said. “I and your grandmother would worry he would get struck by lightning. He would wait until the last minute to come in.”

“I wish I could have gotten to know him,” I replied.

“He would have loved you,” Dad said. “You both are a lot alike. He would have taken you fishing and quail hunting all the time. He always kept hunting dogs when I was a boy.”

This time the lightning flashed perilously close. The thunder was almost instantaneous and deafening.

“Goddamn!” My father exclaimed as we both were startled.

Some of the biggest rain drops I have ever been witness to started to fall.

“Let’s get inside before we both get struck,” Dad said. “Thank god for the rain though.”

“Night dad, I love you,” I replied.

“I love you too son,” He said. “I will see you tomorrow.”

The storm faded almost as quickly as it had blown up much to mine and dad’s disappointment. We only got a brief few minutes of heavy rain; just enough to wet the surface of everything. Soon, the thunder stopped and the katydids went back to calling. Far off, down in the backyard I could hear a few tree frogs peeping. It was a beautiful southern summer’s night in late July. The smell of rain hung heavy in the air. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else or trade such experiences for anything in the world.