A WALK IN THE RAIN

A WALK IN THE RAIN by Taxigringo Feb 24, 2007
It was a very dark night. Rain was falling hard. The wind blew hard. Power went out, and so did the lights of the city. Meanwhile, John was walking to the convienience store to get batteries. At times he had to lean forward to keep from getting blown over by the wind. He squinted to avoid the stinging drops of rain.Ironically, he enjoyed the walk. It became a fantasy stroll back to the time when he was young and dreamed of adventure. Thinking about those innocent years John wandered off the sidewalk, fell into the gutter and was carried towards a dry wash that was now a turbulent stream. He let out a little chuckle. All the way he imagined it was a water park slide. He felt no sense of danger as the rushing water carried him toward the creek that had become a raging river. He exerted himself just enough to keep his head above water. All the while he continued to pretend that he was in the mighty Congo River speeding him to see his beloved Jane. Crocodiles imposed no fear on the Lord of the Jungle. More than once he had disposed of the overgrown reptiles with a knife that hung from his leopard skin loin cloth. Such were the fantasies of this aging, overweight dreamer as he floated twenty miles per hour toward a large grate. He was certain to drown. The laws of reality promised that there would be no escape.At last the situation dawned on him, and with it came embarrassement for indulging in so much silliness. "What am I doing?" He cried out loud. "For love of Pete, I'm not Tarzan. I've got a family to think about."Was this the end? Would his mundane life end in foolishness. His mind raced as he thought of all the people who loved him; they deserved a better return on their investment. The man realized that his predicament would require a miracle. Too embarrassed to call upon God directly he made a plea to Saints Peter and Paul, "Please get me out of this mess, and I'll try to do better."Immediately and just in time his prayer was answered. Like an artillery shell a great thunderbolt hit a telephone pole knocking it into the water. With power lines still attached it fell right in front of John. Not wasting the opportunity he grabbed hold and worked himself back to the bank. "Thanks," he said reverently. On the way home he offered five joyful mysteries of the Rosary before walking through the front door of his house. "Did you get the batteries?" His wife asked."Honey, I forgot. Let's just wait until it's less wet outside."