PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

"What are you talking about?" Lily was making no sense, something about Bethy telling her I could make rain. "If I could do that would I be standing here right now with a hose in my hand?"
I've watered and watered for many years and though I've made little progress growing food, I tell myself I've done service to Terra. I called it my work, bringing rain back to the desert, so I would foolishly feel I have some purpose in life. I water faithfully and let grow whatever will grow. It's mostly weeds, but I don't care. I don't discriminate. Over these last 30 years I have noticed that the rains come earlier and stay longer and are not so violent in nature. More gentle nurturing showers than drenching gullywashers.
Lily stood with me in the garden. It was mid-winter but I was taking this opportunity of a warm day to give everything a squirt even though it had been snowing a little about once a week. Except for the damnable sub-freezing temps the weather was ok for Winter; clouds, sun, clouds, sun. I had been praying for a warm-up. The cold was getting weary and I knew many folks that were having frozen pipe problems. Truly it just felt good to be outside with the sun shining down on the top of my head.
"What makes you think I'm 'The Rainmaker'?", the idea was laughable, that I had any sort of special powers.
She took the hose from me and looked me square in the eyes, "Are you?" Lily could read truth in a person's eyes even if they didn't know the truth themself. And she could detect a fraud from miles away. Whatever little trick she did made the reveal, "Yep it's you. They want to see you."

I was dumbfounded. Who could know anything about me out here in the middle-of-nowhere, mindin' my own business, just watering.
"What? When! I can't go anywhere! I can't leave my dogs! I can't leave my house!" I began feeling The-Fear-of-Leaving-Home rise up from my belly.
Lily helped me through it, "Calm down. Do you have anybody that can come stay here?"
"Ok - let me think about this seriously. Did they say when?"
"No but I'm guessing the sooner the better."

"How many days do you think.. 2.. 3?" I was freaking out. I couldn't recall the last time I was away from home for more than a few hours let alone days. 

I bit the bullet and called my son. I didn't like bothering him unless it was an emergency but there really was no one else.
"I have to go away for a few days. Will you please come out and watch the place for me. I'll pay you. Twice whatever your dad does to be at the shop."
"What? You never go anywhere!" So began the tug of war for my son's services. As it turned out I would be traveling far more often than I had imagined and I would need his help. At the shop he would have to deal with annoying customers and be at the mercy of his father. My place would be like heaven, with nothing much to do but let the dogs in and out and turn the solar panels a few times a day, keep a fire going in the woodstove. I knew all of this was going to have repercussions though. Through Trey my ex would be knowing my business and I didn't like that at all.