MEDIUM RARE 

How long does it take for heaven to answer our prayers for rain?

On Sunday May 12, the priest delivered his Oratio Imperata, prayer for rain, five minutes into the 10 a.m. mass at 10:05 a.m. in Greenhills, city of San Juan.  I did not notice or hear any pitter-patter of rain on rooftops nor the squishing of tires on wet streets until the next day, Monday, at 11:07 p.m. or 36 hours later. Even then, the rain was short and too sweet, like a forbidden fruit, gone in 13 minutes, at 11:20 p.m.

When rain came again the next day, Tuesday, it started out cloudy in the morning, with short outbursts of precipitation that petered out quickly, bringing no relief from the mugginess.  Thirsty treetops and dry rooftops did not help cool down the air.

Then came the news on TV. After less than five minutes, a flooded Timog Ave., QC. With Timog under water, how dry could it be on Tomas Morato Ave., which has the vibe of a valley?

To live without rain in March, April, and the better part of May, only to be suddenly under the weather, all part of life in an archipelago with 7,000 floating islands subjected to only two seasons of wet and dry! How strange for Marites and her amigas to wonder why the weather could swing so wildly: Does the climate affect the psychology of its inhabitants? Doesn’t it work the other way around? From long experience we might as well admit that we change our minds as easily as the wind blows.

Our umbrellas for the rain are also our parasols under the hot sun. Dare we separate the conjoined twins, La Niña and El Niño? When we were kids, we recited the refrain, “Rain, rain, go away, come again another day, little children want to play” and we probably meant it. A century later, aren’t we glad that today’s kids are too smart to string those words together?

How we need the rain -- do come and linger! The water levels of our dams and reservoirs are moving down too fast for our own good. Manila Water and Maynilad will be forced to diminish the water pressure to their subscribers. So there, rain, reign!