Monsoon Madness

The monsoon is heavy this year. Water rises from the creek at the bottom of the property, flooding the orchard and then the garden. The newly made pond comes creeping up the sloping driveway, looking for it’s next victim.

Finally, a lull in the rain! She ventures out via the kitchen door and cautiously advances down the driveway.

What a gorgeously glassy new pond!

The water is green, reflecting the surrounding rainforest. Frogs croak as they jump from lotus leaves to coconut trees, “Look at me, ma — I’m Tarzan!” Mosquitos buzz, looking for shallow water to lay their eggs. The milkman’s cows chew neon grass on the roadside in mute ecstasy.

She inches close to the edge of the water. Look at my reflection… so clear — must be very clean water! Yes, the flood brings all kinds of rubbish but surely it also takes it out…

Birds cheep, chirp and chatter as they look for juicy worms forced out in the flood. “Hey, here’s two! You can have one.” The air is intensely redolent of clay with a muted background of damp greenery dripping everywhere.

Gosh this brings back memories… jumping into huge puddles on the way back from school... scooping up stranded fish with a muslin towel ...pulling my brother’s leg underwater in the swollen river … halcyon days.

The wind ripples the surface of the pond enticingly. She looks around but no nosy neighbours peer through curtains.

So cool and inviting… dare I? will I catch a cold? God forbid, some waterborne disease…

She leans over so hard in her longing that she falls in.

Oh my… I’m in! hey… so lovely and fresh.

She swims out over the waving fronds of her submerged lawn where tiny fish inspect their new quarters.

Everything looks so different from this angle… I wish I could stay here… float away my dull routine… this is such fun!

She reluctantly paddles back towards the driveway.

Better get out… What will people say if they see a 75-year-old swimming in flood water with a big grin on her face? Dare I even tell the kids?