Rain

I awoke this morning to the pleasant sound of a soft steady rain but knew it spelt trouble for our house. Rain is something Chimbote is never prepared for. Most houses do not have a complete roof. As I made my way downstairs toward the kitchen, I hiked up the pant legs of my PJ’s and stepped over a few puddles in the living room. Our house had about an inch or two of standing water in various corners on both floors. The rain did not last long, no more than twenty minutes. Some of the water was still dripping into the dining room where the plastic shingles were sagging. We were sweeping it out today and things were dry by the afternoon. Rain is such a rare occurrence in Chimbote no one ever bothers to invest or construct proper roofs. El Niño should finish sometime in the first part of 2010. I hope El Niño is kind to us.