It rained today. Substantial rain. For the first time in weeks. Such a relief after weeks of scorching sun and balmy nights. The torrential rain brought the wind with it, great gusts which shook branches and scattered leaves throughout the garden. Words and memories came too. Countless words scurrying in my head, begging to be heard, demanding to be written down. Such a blessing after the drought of the past few months.

For some reason, the rain battering against the open window and the sheet of Visqueen I was folding made me think of 1974. I have no idea why. For most of the afternoon 1974 came flooding back in short sharp scenes. It wasn’t a particularly memorable year. It was however, the first time I got to spend more than a few hours with "AA" - my exotic American Aunt, who up until 1974, had been little more than a glamorous black and white studio photograph.

AA’s arrival had been heralded by a touch of the supernatural in the most unlikely of circumstances. My mother, who had been cooking dinner at the time, ran from the kitchen calling AA’s name and crying. My father calmly strolled into the kitchen, switched off the appliances and then poured my mother a small glass of sherry. They waited for the telephone call to come, as indeed it did, just a few hours later.

AA had been widowed. Her late husband, a serving American Air Force Officer had passed over and she had decided it was time to return home to the UK. My imaginary trip to the States to visit her and the subsequent much longed-for encounter with Donny Osmond was now well and truly out of the question. On the upside we were going to be entertaining a larger than life character who drank coffee - strong coffee, which according to my father had to be made in the percolator rather than the instant stuff which came in a jar.

We had met before AA and I, our first encounter leaving a faint impression with me. It was different in 1974. The first thing I noticed then was her eyes, they were green like my own. My mother, father and sister all had blue eyes. The cousins I was closest to had blue eyes also. The green eyes had been unexpected.

Within weeks AA had a gold Ford Capri complete with sunroof, a small cottage with a predominant amount of orange coloured furniture and my mother’s back up. I wasn’t to get too attached – AA was probably not going to stay around for long. No one knew at that stage how true that statement was going to prove to be.

To my knowledge AA’s vices were the previously mentioned strong coffee, king size cigarettes and bingo. There may have been others which I fail to remember. I do remember two gifts from her and a shared day trip to an American Air Force base here in the UK. The gifts were a caramel smock type dress with a wide leather-look belt and a decadent satin dressing gown. The day trip took place one hot summer’s day. A long drive to Oxfordshire in the Capri and a return journey at night driving through the rain at what seemed like lightning speed.

Months later, in the early hours of the morning, they found the Capri parked on the driveway with AA's body slumped over the steering wheel. A heart attack at 40 years of age. No previous history of heart disease. Of course my mother knew about it before the police informed her. She woke from her sleep crying AA’s name and my father made a cup of tea while they waited for the telephone call to come, as indeed it did, just a few hours later.

Today brought rain, 1974 and the inspiration to write again after a long absence of words.

Labels: Life, Miladysa, rain

Posted by Miladysa at 10:52 PM

18 Comments

 Miladysa posted at 11:23 PM  
Sir H is recovering well. Thank you all for your kind words, thoughts and prayers x

 Baino posted at 12:25 AM  
You know I don't have a psychic bone in my body but not half an hour ago, I commented about you on Melissa's blog and sent you an email. Welcome back, you have been missed. So glad Sir H finally had his surgery, now its the hard yards of rehab. AA sounds very much like my Nana, very flamboyant. Sad though that such a lady died so young. Broken heart maybe?

 laughingwolf posted at 2:08 AM  
wb milady... you've not lost your tale telling touch :)

glad the sir is on the mend...

blessings to all, and have a great weekend...

 kj posted at 3:40 AM  
oh to read your words again and to have you back! time to write again, milady, i hope. it;s not the same without you.

love love love

 Nachi posted at 11:34 AM  
sure did miss you around on Blogsville. glad that you are back. loved the post. love how you have took me back in time to 1974.

...we need the rains! the much hyped 'monsoon' has been delayed this year. and the heat only seems to get worse. blame Global Warming...


:(

 Melissa posted at 12:52 PM  
Your writing this morning is like a cool rain after a hot, dry day, my friend! :) It's so good to have you back and this is a beautiful piece you've written -- I could see it all ... I wish I could have met AA and your mum. I'm so glad Sir H is doing well! Lots of love coming to you and yours across the pond. xoxo

 Charles Gramlich posted at 4:48 PM  
AA sounds like a character. But wow, a woman having a heart attack at 40. that's pretty unusual.

I posted many months back now about writing weather. And rain counts as that for me. I write well when it rains

 kj posted at 5:08 PM  
i'm back again because i'm so excited you're writing again.

that's all...

 Valerie posted at 9:53 PM  
Hello, I am here on the recommendation of LaughingWolf. I enjoyed this uncanny post. I wonder where that American base was, I could have been there ... as a guest of course.

 Livingsword posted at 1:28 AM  
:)

Good to hear Sir H is doing better!

Take care…

 Demon Hunter posted at 9:36 PM  
Interesting story. I have had similar psychic incidents happen myself.

Glad to hear that Sir H is doing better. :-)

 Bimbimbie posted at 10:52 AM  
Hello Miladysa Glad the rain has words flowing from you again.

Your AA sounded like fun was she your mam's twin? just wondering because of her physhic gift/curse.

That day trip to the base, was it Menwith Hill by any chance?

Ha ha Donny Osmond 1974 one of my classmates talking and singing at every opportunity she got. It was David Essex for me ;)

Good news on Sir H*!*

 kj posted at 5:19 PM  
dear friend, there is an award waiting for you on my blog. please come

 Steve Malley posted at 10:47 PM  
Glad to hear Sir H is on the mend, and that you're writing again!

 Baino posted at 5:51 AM  
Hey Miladysa . .now don't you do an Anonybird on us here? Is all well with you? I miss you? Really!

 Deb posted at 9:09 PM  
Just stopping by to say hi :)

 Miladysa posted at 11:56 AM  
Hello Everyone

Just returned after a few days away - will try to post and reply to emails asap.

Thanks for all the comments!

M x

 L.A. Mitchell posted at 8:51 PM  
M,

What a wonderful snapshot from 1974. So good to see you're writing again :)

Be well!

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