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The drive from Albany to Boston can sometimes be quite perilous. Going through the elevated Berkshires always raises the risk of running into weather conditions that don’t affect either end of the trip, which can make for a dicey situation. On this day, the rain began falling halfway along the Massachusetts Turnpike. This was no light rain either – torrents of the stuff was pouring out of the sky like a million ‘Fantasia’ buckets were being spilled by an evil sorcerer. The threat of hydroplaning is very real when sheets of water are sliding all around the road. (I once totaled a car in a heavy rain situation, so I don’t take water lightly.)

Though the going was slower than usual (and I was on a tight schedule to meet with yet another bathroom contractor) I arrived to a break in the Boston sky and managed to make it to the condo in dry fashion. A load of laundry (since there are always towels to wash) and a repotting of a ZZ plant (since it was bursting out of its original container) occupied my time until the long-awaited reunion with Kira took place that evening. We hadn’t seen each other since April, and the summer apart had begun to leave me slightly concerned, but when we headed out into the rain it was as if no time had passed.

It was coming down hard again, and we ducked into the nearby House of Siam rather than make the trek to Chinatown. (It’s soup and noodle season!) As we sat at a table looking out onto Columbus, the rain increased. It was a steady downpour, leaving everyone soaked. Half of the people didn’t even bother with umbrellas – there really was no point. We took our time eating, hoping for a reprieve. Though there wasn’t far to go, a few blocks were enough to soak through the shoes. Eventually, with no end to the rain in sight, we had to make our way back, beneath feeble umbrellas and over puddles that had turned into ponds. As we climbed the steps to the condo, my feet were wet, my sleeves were dripping, and the brown bags holding our take-away containers were mush. None of it mattered though. I was back with my dear friend, and we made a pot of hot tea as Billie Holiday sang ‘Stormy Weather’ in the background.