Years ago, when I was working as an aid worker in Somaliland, I was sent to a village in the north of that self-proclaimed republic, to inspect a health centre. Apart from having no clue about health centres and what I was supposed to be looking for, I also had a lot more hair, which was then rather ginger.
As we were driving along, my chatty driver, whose right cheek was slowly bulging as he inserted more of the narcotic leaf, qat, into his mouth (his relaxed state was reflected in his driving - I was terrified), he explained that this village had not seen any rain for three whole years, and life there was very tough as a result.
They had never seen a white, or at least, pink man either, I realised soon after I arrived, as they appeared terrified of me.
And then it happened.
The heavens opened.
Rain, literally buckets (I saw everyone scampering to collect as much as they could, and we helped as much as we could).
The Manchester Rain God had arrived.
We left soon after the rain stopped, and they begged me to come back the next week.
And so, with Dalmatia so dry and no rain in sight, how to entice black clouds and rainfall?
Our sleeping arrangements this summer have been very competitive in this heat. Two mattresses on the terrace where things are a lot cooler, high above Jelsa. Daddy rarely gets a look in.
Last night, however, I found myself alone on the terrace, and about 05:50, I awoke to the unusual feeling of drops of water.
Finally! I lay there, savouring every drop, reminiscing about my Manchester roots. But not for long.
"Dad, come inside quickly. Look over there!"
I looked across. A thunderous bolt of lightning, and then a fast approaching haze, which quickly engulfed the terrace. We scrambled inside and watched the early morning show, all smiling.
Meanwhile, on a hillside overlooking Jelsa, one of the Osijek Maestros had his camera trained to capture the moment. Great shot, Mario Romulic!
The rain has long gone, but it was wonderfully refreshing, and Jelsa is cooler at 11am. Time for the Manchester Rain God to descend for his morning cold one.
If you would like to employ the services of the Manchester Rain God in your dry part of Dalmatia, contact us via the usual channels.
