Close To Midnight Is The Least Wanted Time For An Unexpected Power Cut.

Amid a raging storm as well...

As you know it's been and actually still is extremely hot and humid. Temperatures at night are still hot and the bit of cool air from the open bedroom window first brushed Bob and seemed to have stayed there. My side of the bed was akin to a sauna and definitely not fun.

At about ten I migrated to the lounge and made my bed under the open window. At least some respite but the air was far from cool. Accepting a long night ahead of me, I turned on the inevitable thriller, Tatort, and settled down to work out who'd done it.

When all of a sudden, the television went black, pitch black, followed by all the dots of light on other appliances, I got scared. Window open, murder plot on mind and due to the storm outside coupled with the strange noises mingled with odd streaks of lightning. Isn't that when in the movies the murderer gets illuminated with an ax in hand?

Of course after having calmed down a tad bit I started to wonder whether we'd paid the electricity bill but remembering that we had, I got up to go to the front room to see if the street lights were in order. Perhaps it was just us...Not at all as the street lights were out and the lane was in utter darkness.

What to do...Mausi, busy going through the terrible two's had made herself scarce, not wanting anything to do with me and Bob was audibly sleeping through this power cut.

I lay on the couch and got to thinking about the many power cuts Bob and I lived through in South Africa the last few years we were there and how quickly I had forgotten them. How quickly one takes anything for granted. Electricity is precious and shouldn't be a given. This morning I have renewed respect for it and have been heard to say:

" Lights Bob, lights Bob! "

to which the outraged reply was instant:

" That's rich coming from you!!!!

Biggi