-^-for posterity-^-

it rained for the first time in five months.

after five months of searing sunlight and lots of people moving around the same small space, things become dusty. there is dust everywhere and everyone just has to deal with it. you come home and wash your face and hands four or eight times a day in the sink and feel refreshed. you use cold, wet towels in restaurants given to you in plastic pouches. you feel dirty. everything you own is dirty.

today the sky opened up and blessed us.

it started in the late afternoon. the clouds came in and you could hear the rumbling of thunder in the distance. after a few minutes of rumbling, the sky wind came. the wind came and blew and the trees danced for joy. it blew and it blew and i stopped what i was doing and stared out the window at it all.

the dog hid under the desk because he didn’t remember the last time i rained.

the sky opened up and rained, as it does here, like the clouds are in a hurry. it’s the only time you really get a sense of urgency but, in a way, it’s quite serene. the sky is howling and the rain screams but no one moves. we all sit in our houses or our huts or our coffee shops just waiting for it all to end.

the rain lasted for ten minutes and then left to soak the next commune. i stood on the balcony just watching. for once things were peaceful. the motorcycle traffic had yet to start and everything was standing still. the ground was clean and shining. the air was thick. i think, for a moment, everyone in long xuyen was glad for the rains to come back. it meant the end of one cycle and the beginning of another.