A weird realization

“The weather is as usual, so a t-shirt and shorts are fine” said purrman at 7 o’clock this morning. I listened, because it was just an ordinary day at sea, and put on a t-shirt and shorts. Purrman was right the first few hours.

It was an ordinary day; the work was as usual, the clothing and the weather and the food as well. I occupied myself with “taring” and sat on the knockpärt looking out on the sea while covering it with grease. I was tired from the heat, so I took a deep breath to collect some power to contuine to the next one. My glove had broken and the overall was too small, so my arm was covered in tar. I took another deep breath, looked out towards the horizon and saw a dark cloud coming toward Gunilla. I though “This is it, I’m too tired for this”, thinking it would start raining. To be honest, it’s not so bad to kära, but my tiredness went over my head just as the first drop of water landed on my forehead. It started small so I continued, dangling my legs while sitting on the yard. It started raining more and suddenly I was all wet, and even more surprisingly than the rain, I got in a better mood. My tiredness disappeared and my misery as well. What a cliché you may think, and I know, but it’s true. I realized in that moment that I had missed the rain, and I concluded that it was all I needed. I needed it because as someone who comes from Gothenburg, lives with the for most of the year and continuingly complains about it, you don’t think you will miss it, but when it suddenly cools your body and drips down your face you may appreciate it for a moment.

The rain felt like home for a second and I thought about the many times I have walked at home, being miserable because of it. Now, on the other side of the world, on a foreign ocean with a foreign sun glazing in my eyes and draining my energy, the rain was a miracle and saved my day. It put a smile on my face and gave me a small ounce of energy, which was all I needed to keep on taring on the knockpärt looking out on the ocean. Now the purrman was unfortunately wrong since the weather was unusual, but thank God for that, because I’m not used to the sun as I’m used to the rain and, from this day on I can hopefully look at another dark cloud at home in another way.

Andrea Engström

SAB2023