The Rains Have Come

In Pakistan, rain is welcome, so welcome ...... I had no idea. In England the rain was a nuisance, it prevented me from joining my friends on long bike rides over the downs, or if I was out, I had better have my cape, and oilskin hat. But here, I now understand the value of rain.

Yesterday the temperature was about 43 C degrees, now, that could be OK, but with very high humidity, the effect was probably over the 50 mark. I am lucky at the office, they have very kindly given me the only room with an AC unit, and a ceiling fan, they even insist on keeping the door closed to ensure the cool air stays inside ....... that will tell you something about how decent these people are. They are gentle, fun loving and committed to their jobs. What a resource.

I digress. Rain. It came today, the wind came up, immediately there was a drop in humidity, and the temperature plummeted to around 30 ....... I'm in heaven. I was so thankful. But think, what about those people who are displaced, living in tents, the farmers, the animals etc, aren't they thankful as well .... everybody is. The staff at the guest house were very jolly today.

We people from the West have no idea how important this is. The people here prepare for the rains (the monsoon), many flowering plants have been planted along the roads, with sticks for them to climb, I am told that, in a few days, Islamabad will be a riot of color. Wonderful, I will enjoy. Wait, what about the feral cat family, will they be happy?

Yes, and no. I have been watching the cat family. After the heavy rain, the whole family was sitting together furiously licking themselves, to remove the water. I watched as they moved about - when they trod in puddles, there came the familiar paw shaking, holding it out, as if in disgust. They had fun for a while, the temperature was so much lower, they felt quite lively, mum cat fed them and they all fell asleep in a huddle, so funny, so sweet.

Later more rains came, and the cat family took shelter again. I see the white and grey has emerged and is sleeping outside the shelter, it is all curled up in a ball, ears twitching when the wind catches them ........ can I have a cat ......... please.