BACK SEAT DRIVER: Rain lovers

Mark Kawalya

The rains seem to be finally here. Those of you that were complaining about the severe heat some weeks ago must be celebrating. I am sure each time it rains you drop everything you are doing. You make a mad dash outside into the pouring rain and dance enthusiastically like an excited child. Since your mother is nowhere to rein you in, the dance will probably last until your boss asks where you have disappeared to.
On Tuesday morning, the skies opened and the rain came down heavy and hard. If you have school going children you probably trembled in your boots, or socks if you sleep in those. Waking up the little guys to go to school on a cold rainy day probably made you question whether it was all worth it.

But some children are of a different breed. The rain greatly excites them. It seems to breathe life into them. These little weirdoes will jump out of their beds and hurriedly go to look out the window. Their eyes will dance with excitement as they look at the forming puddles of water. This lot needs no begging to wake up and prepare for school. You will find them already dressed in their uniforms even before they have showered. They cannot wait to go out and attack the day and its rain.

Some boda boda riders too love the rain because it is an opportunity to charge more. For the route that costs Shs3,000, they will want to charge you Shs6,000.They will ooze with pride as they tell you the new fares. “I don’t ride in the rain, but let me just help you.” One of them will say, as he lazily looks at you through the visor of his black helmet. If you have a meeting you cannot miss you will jump onto the boda boda bracing yourself for the long cold ride.

Drivers will switch off their engines and tap steering wheels impatiently. You know traffic in Kampala is bad when countless drivers turn off their ignitions. The windows will get foggy because of all the exhaling that is going on in the car. Conversations will be few. The children will be in the backseat. The older one will be asking questions like “When are we getting to school?” Questions you would have already answered five times. So you choose to keep quiet and look out of the foggy window. The younger one, you know the one that doesn’t mind the rain, is not bothered by the traffic. He is drawing shapes onto window naming them after all his classmates.