It has been raining all summer, day after day. We were dying for a ray of sun.
Weather forecast for last weekend: cloudy with sunny patches. Lovely. It doesn’t say anything about rain. Time to go to the beach and stay there all day long.
We decided to go to a little island down South. It has wonderful white sand beaches surrounded by pine tree forests. There is a small fishermen village with an even smaller harbour but otherwise is deserted.
Picnic basket, beach towels, bottles of water and swimsuits under heavy pullovers and jeans.
Brianda refuses to go.
-”I’d rather stay alone at home and play with my PSP all day long”.
I’m a responsible mother, and she does need a bit of sun. I stamped my foot. She will come.
-”I hate you, Bones. You’re so cruel. I am not wearing my swimsuit. I know it’s going to rain”.
We took the ferry to the island, and to her utmost satisfaction, as soon as we landed it began to rain. A lot. In fact it poured.
We could not leave, as the ferry had already departed. Brianda wore her “I told you so” very angry look.
But rain stopped, the sun appeared behind the clouds, and we headed for the beach. Husband, daughters, husband’s sister, husband’s sister’s husband, niece, neighbours and their kids, best friend and his wife and daughters. A whole tribe.
The sun was blazing hot when we reached the beach. Everyone peeled off their clothes and dived into the water. Everyone but Brianda, who couldn’t peel anything off.
There was not a shade anywhere. I saw my daughter getting pale, sweat pouring down her forehead and black hair plasted to her cheeks.
-”Bones, I want to go into the water. Did you bring my swimsuit?”.
-”No, I didn’t. You said you would stay dressed. You may swim in your knickers”.
-”But Bones, I can’t do that!!”.
-”Can`t you? Then I will. Take off your clothes, give me your knickers and I’ll be the one who plays Lady Godiva”.
We went happily splashing into the water with the rest of the kids, we sunbathed, we got covered in sand, we built a Prehistoric tomb with rocks and sand, we dug a mocking sculpture of an Egyptian mummy.
And all the time I wore her blue knickers with a caption which read “Tampax Girl” and nothing else. But my surly teenage daughter now admires my guts, and knows I’d do anything for her – and happily.
Honi soit qui mal y pense.
