The One with the Sideways Rain

Yesterday, I had my first experience with an African storm. Did I say storm? I meant hurricane. One minute I was washing dishes, and the next two of the teenage boys came running in yelling "It's coming!" Everyone went straight to the open porch and starting bringing cushions inside and closing the drapes. By that time, we were all soaked as the rain blew fiercely inside the house. One of the disadvantages of not having glass in the windows is that storms will bring the water in the house. Granted, yesterday's storm was worse than normal, and the wind most likely would have broken the glass. At least I know now what Forrest Gump was talking about when he complained about that "sideways rain" in Vietnam.

We stood above the stairs just watching as the wind blew rain in from every window. There was nothing else to be done until it was over. Fortunately, the house is extremely sturdy and the only damage was the water everywhere. Things can dry out, and we all  were safe inside. Some of the people in town are not so blessed to have a sturdy home, and now will have to rebuild. This was a storm like nothing I have seen. Even the flood last summer in Tennessee, didn't come with those winds. Its not an uncommon occurrence here, however. I think I was only one a little amazed and stressed. I do have it on good authority that in eight years, only one storm rivaled yesterdays, though.

When it was over, everyone from youngest to oldest pitched in with buckets, brooms, and mops to sweep out water. And mop up water, and carry out water, and wring water out from towels. My own room had an

The best picture my camera could get of the water coming in

inch of standing water, despite closing the shutters, and all of the things on my desk had some water damage. Nothing unsalvageable, though.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank my mother for the gum boots. They came in handy getting the water out of the house. I did find out that those boots are very slippery. We won't discuss how...


When you have to clear out water from a place, you really come to almost despise the properties of a liquid and how it always finds the path of least resistance. It just makes the job so much more difficult.

Africa truly is a land of extremes. Not once has it really rained since January, and the first time it happens, its like this. Drought or hurricane. Those seem to be your choices. All of this to say, it was an eventful day. We are blessed and safe. And I can now add "African hurricane survivor" to my resume.