The rain

                THE RAIN.

He heard the foot fall in the passage way before the knock on the door. Tap, tap ,tap and the door opened and a small head appeared with a big cheesy grin ‘can I get you a cupper ? since you have been at it all morning. I was beginning to think you had chucked yourself out of the window’. She got the look, we all know the look the one no one talks about, but it’s always there.’’ Can you come in or go out please you are letting in all the hot air’. ‘So you are OK then? And not having er what did you call it? A writers block? I know you don’t like it when I ask if your stuck’, she added trying hard not to laugh. She smiled trying to be as positive as she could. She had just hit his on button, and he could fell it building inside like trapped wind. What he wanted to say was,’ No I have just bashed out 5,000 words and nailed it to the wall’. He hadn’t of course, in truth he had written a single word all morning. ‘Can I have a tea please the if you are making one? And a couple of biscuits on the side please? Yes if I am to be honest, I am trying to write a bit where my characters are stuck in a rain storm. It’s not rained for so long I have forgotten just how it feels’. ‘What’ she asked?’ A rain storm, because it’s not just the feel of the rain’.’ So, not just the wind in your face then’? She asked.’ No it’s everything’ he spit back and trying hard to be nice. ‘Well try having a shower then, that might help, won’t it? Why not go for a shower and I will go make launch, you eat the said launch and take it form there what say you? You know what Wellington said, an army can’t march on something or other’. ‘Empty stomach, empty stomach and it was Napoleon who said that not Wellington, and now he did want to argue but it was too hot. So hot even a mild discussion seemed too much effort .’ How ever I do get your point, my brain can’t run without fuel. So I will go for a shower and you can surprise me with something for launch then’.

She flicked on the radio and the speakers in the bathroom and that was playing something from the eighty’s while she got on with some prep work. She had decided it would be a Tuna salad for launch, 1 because she likes Tuna and 2 because he liked salad. I call that a win, win she said to herself. She had cut up some small cherry tomatoes the sort he was not to keen on, but she loved them. She would always ask, are you not eating them? If not can I have them please? She knew what the answer would be, it was always yes help yourself.  She had intact cut him a beef tomato since she knows he liked a tomato sandwich with extra salt with a dollop of mayonnaise on top. ‘ Are you done yet? Don’t forget to put  some clean clothes on please since we are going to see Bob and Mary this afternoon. You do remember we are going to see them, don’t you? Since you have put it off, the last four times’. There was a reply but she could not hear it. He is your best friend after all, ‘you can’t keep fobbing him off’. She heard the bedroom door open your tee shirt is where you keep your tee shirts and the same with your shorts, and don’t forget to put some spray on please. You might look like a bin bag tied up in the middle but at least you won’t smell like one.

When he finally made it down stairs he was greeted with, you still have your slippers on? He sighed’ I have my slippers on because it’s 4 hours before we go out to Bob’s and I will be putting my sandals on when we go, and can we not fight please’? ‘.Do you not feel better after your shower’? She said changing the subject,’ I’m sure you must do?’ You know what? I felt great right up to the point where I got myself dry. Now I feel like the hot end of a poker after it’s been left in the fire for an hour or two. I need not to think about the rain so I can think about it when I go back to it. You know that made more sense in my head than saying it out loud’. ‘Well’ she added ‘I could always get Bob to hose you down’? He wanted to dive in, and make a snappy remark but he just said ‘can we eat now I think I’m a wee bit hungry’. They sat at the table I have some, she held her hand up to stop him speaking. I have some rolls for m, but you can have one if you would like to and I have some sliced white for you. I did remember you are not keen on rolls. 

Launch passed without incident and when it was over they both tided up the plates and lunch things to try and stop the flies, or at least keep them to a minimum. They sat in the lounge’ what am I doing’? He asked She was unsure how to answer this one, but before she could reply he went on. ‘It’s 90 degrees out side and I’m drinking hot tea? I have put an alarm on my phone for ten minuets before we need to set off. So if you want you could have a nap or something before we go’? She sighed ‘it’s too hot for a lot of things I want to do, but I want to change the bed but I’m suffering from an attack of CBA’. ‘Pardon he asked I have not heard that one before what does CBA mean’? Oh sorry she said then added’ I forget you don’t get out much, it means can’t be arsed’.’ I like that’ he said’ I wonder if you can use it after someone’s name?   You know like Jim Morrison CBA it makes it sound like a title or something’. They both laughed even if they both where a bit muted ‘Can I ask why you are not keen on going to Bob’s please’? He took a deep breath, ‘you know he will ask about the book don’t you’. ‘Well tell him, it’s not like your in a completion with him is it it’s your job. What’s the worst thing he can say? I don’t like it. Even if he doesn’t like does not mean it’s bad? He suggest things because he’s your friend and he want to help. Not the book but you, he want to help all he sees is his friend stuck with a problem and he wants to help. Like the rest of us plebs we want to help but we have no idea of how to or even if we can, but we feel we must. Not what you are doing but just you’. She looked close to tears Yes I know I can get too involved in the piece I’m writing. Too focused, on the screen in front of me, to notice everything around me, well a part for you. You are the only thing keeping me going in all this’.’ Do you think it will ever rain again? I know it’s only been a few weeks but it seems like an eternity since it last rained. Is it me’ ? she asked ‘but it’s gone very dark all of a sudden I think I might need to put some lights on’. She looked around to find she was in fact talking to herself, again she thought to herself. She headed towards the rear of the house and that’s when she heard it. The clattering patter of rain on the windows, and the sudden change of temperature that only comes with a rain storm. She could see him through the patio doors standing with his arms out stretched and mouth wide open. It felt like he had been there for hours even though it was only a few minuets. He could feel the coolness from the rain and the sting from where it hit his face, he felt like one with the storm. ‘Will you come in or you will get soaked’,’ I know he replied wonderful is it not’. ‘Will you at least come in so you don’t get zapped by a few million volts from a lightening bolt, please’. She went and got him a few towels so he could A dry himself off and B not drip all over the carpets. He stood and recounted his experience child like to her. ‘I could feel the rain on my face because it stung so, has it left a mark he asked her? She shook her head.’ It was so, now come to think of it it’s hard to describe just how it felt. A bit like eating a slice of chocolate cake. Where you don’t just taste but feel as well. You know when you taste the vanilla sponge and the icing, but you can feel the texture of the sponge and icing. While one stands out more than the others the whole becomes grater than the sum of it’s parts’ She looked and watched him dry himself sighed and added ‘ I like cake, and I really do like chocolate cake’..