By Tom Clifford
Prime time. Gathering clouds bending the light as the sun calls it a day. Night approaches unapologetically. Rain is coming. The first drops will arrive in a few minutes, almost tentatively. A splatter here, a splatter there, and then with greater assuredness until a downpour will deliver moisture to the thirsty earth.
The clues to the changing weather are easily apparent and provide an early warning system. The breeze is picking up, and the waves caressing the beach are lapping with increasing intensity, almost machine-like in their regularity. I can honestly say, without fear of contradiction, that I have not turned on the TV for weeks. With so much to savor and appreciate of the night, being indoors, a prerequisite for watching the box, seems almost rude.
Admittedly, the computer and internet provide a distraction but it is mostly books that have kept me engaged. My former English teacher would not approve of some of my choices but she might of others. One of them that might persuade Mrs Hurley of the Crescent school in Limerick that her talents were not entirely wasted on me is A time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor. It is more than a book. It is a companion. His tales of walking across Europe in the 1930s always inspire. Opening its pages is a pleasure that almost borders on illegality.
One of the great joys of living on the island, made ever more treasurable by being so unexpected, is the silent night. Well, silent in terms of the usual suspects: blaring TVs or radios. I’ve mentioned the waves, and in the distance I can see and hear the planes landing and taking off. The rustling leaves seem to be urging conversations, with their hushed tones they could almost be spreading the latest gossip.
Nature has a way of helping us measure our progress, especially on this island. The Flamboyant tree is an example of this. Its flaming flowers provide a colorful backdrop to Emancipation Day celebrations on July 1 that mark the end of slavery and honor the island’s ancestors and their freedom fight. Folktales have given it a special place in our imagination. But it also has a practical application. It can be used for medicinal purposes and long seedpods, once dried, can turned into musical instruments, toys and fuel.
In the morning the rain reintroduces itself as it playfully teases us. Don’t take sunshine for granted it seems to warn us. Nature loves playing its tricks.
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Previous columns by Tom Clifford:
Boat trip
Cruise Ships In But No Tourist Spending
Marigot Walk
The Biting Truth About Paradise: Mosquitos!
A Tale of Two Cities: Marigot and Philipsburg
A northern side apple tart
Taxis & Buses
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For a Helicopter Tour of St. Maarten/Saint Martin, book online at HeliSXM.com
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