8th Dec 07
The land is dry, red and dusty. The tall, yellowed grass has been cut for roofing, the land burnt to encourage new growth – but nothing will grow in this searing, relentless heat. The hills are covered with skeletons of trees- most leafless, but some optimistically budding in expectation of the rains. Burgandy, amber and brown leafs turn to irridecent pale green. ‘The trees buds to call the rain’ says the chief. It will come.
The clouds have been threatening for days- towering pillars of a magestic temple. The pressure and the temperature rises. All is still. It will not rain today- maybe four, five days time the villagers say, digging the hard ground into dusty ridges, placing the maize and bean seeds in the hole together, carefully watering the germinating seeds by hand.
It starts.
The sky has darkened, then comes a splash, and another. One by one huge rain drops fall, slowly gaining momentum until the sound of thundering rain drowns out all other sounds. The temperature drops below 30 degrees for the first time in months. People take shelter and watch as the dust turns to mud, the roads to rivers, and the rocky river beds swell to muddy torrents. The rains have come.
The land is dry, red and dusty. The tall, yellowed grass has been cut for roofing, the land burnt to encourage new growth – but nothing will grow in this searing, relentless heat. The hills are covered with skeletons of trees- most leafless, but some optimistically budding in expectation of the rains. Burgandy, amber and brown leafs turn to irridecent pale green. ‘The trees buds to call the rain’ says the chief. It will come.
The clouds have been threatening for days- towering pillars of a magestic temple. The pressure and the temperature rises. All is still. It will not rain today- maybe four, five days time the villagers say, digging the hard ground into dusty ridges, placing the maize and bean seeds in the hole together, carefully watering the germinating seeds by hand.
It starts.
The sky has darkened, then comes a splash, and another. One by one huge rain drops fall, slowly gaining momentum until the sound of thundering rain drowns out all other sounds. The temperature drops below 30 degrees for the first time in months. People take shelter and watch as the dust turns to mud, the roads to rivers, and the rocky river beds swell to muddy torrents. The rains have come.
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