THE DAY IT RAINED BAD!

In the UAE it is usual dry, being a desert. It hardly rains. It does rain at times, usually during the month of December and then again in March. For the past two years the rain hasn't gone past a drizzle, so it is hotter and drier.

In this post I recollect an incident that took place a few years ago(five years and three months ago to be precise).

I got up early, reluctantly, it being a working day, oblivious to the fact that it was raining hard and heavily. After brushing my teeth and bathing, I recovered from my drowsiness which encapsulated my mind. I had a very light breakfast, after putting on my uniform and cursing school.
"It is raining. Why go to school?", I asked my mom who smiled, because five years ago I was never reluctant to go to school. I was only reluctant to wake up. She knew that after a while I'd get over with it.

I lifted my school bag and went down to wait for the God forbidden bus, which would come early if you were late and late if you were right on time. It being a rainy day, and there being lot of traffic the bus was as usual LATE! I cursed the bus as I was a sissy back then. I hated waiting! I had to wait for more than an hour before the bus arrived and believe it or not there were plenty more children to pick-up. I was drenched as I did not have an umbrella or rain coat. We don't keep umbrellas at home as it hardly rains and it remains useless. Even if you could use it to protect yourself from the sun, I was not that kind of a person. I love heat. What could be better than a sunny morning?

So, I got into the bus and sat chatting with my friends. We also kept playing hand games which was a trend for us then. It was ten 'O clock and we were still far from school. The bus was supposed to pick me up at six thirty, which was history. The first four periods were long gone and we still were far from school. The best part was, that there were more people to be picked up.

I was bored sitting in the bus, that too cramped on the seat, unable to move from my posture. My muscles were getting sore and I knew I had to get up otherwise I would have been most probably paralysed. So, after warning my friends that I was going to get up, I got up from my seat, stretched my legs and arms and sat again.

The weather was so damp that you could smell water in the confines of a closed and air-conditioned bus. We were lucky to a have a school cardigan as the driver was unwilling to turn off the air-conditioner. There was water seeping through the tiny holes near the window and unluckily I was sitting right next to the window. I was astonished how deep the wheels of the bus had gone under the rainwater as the country's drainage system was excellent yet you didn't have potholes on every road.

The exciting thing I learnt was the slope of the road. The road slopes so even if there were no much of potholes the water comes down to the sides of the roads so that  no much damage is done to the roads.
I also admired the oil on the water which looked colourful due to the water. Even the reflection of the traffic lights looked beautiful.

My friend kept on going about the upcoming winter vacations which he said he would enjoy to the fullest. He kept talking about his dad taking him to tour Burj Al Arab which is a seven star hotel in Dubai. It is famous for its seafood and luxury. To which I replied that Dubai is full of tourist spots.

Rain came down harder and it looked like we would never get to school as it was eleven 'O clock. The teacher who used the bus was kind enough to call the school authorities and ask them to give a holiday. To my and my friends' utter astonishment school declared leave for the day.

The bus dropped us back home and it didn't take much time as we didn't go far. He took a shorter and muddy route to drop us. I rushed into my building as it was raining hard and I didn't have an umbrella. The watchman was kind enough to put a rug just before the steps so that anyone could rub their shoes on it. It was my pleasure to do so as I was amused by it then.

At last I reached home and I was surprised that my parents(they had a holiday too!) weren't surprised to see me. On asking why they replied that the school had called them and told them that that day was a holiday and gladly even the following day was a holiday! That day is got to be the most rocking day of my life!

Hasta la Vista,
K

PS: Note that the recent poll will be put again after few months as I'm disappointed with the number of votes and I'm still undecided. My mother voted twice by mistake thus there is an increase in vote in 'Yes'.