Ray and I were awakened around 5:30 this morning by the rumbling of thunder and the flashing of lightning as a thunderstorm rolled into the Sherman area. Rain came pounding down, which normally would be comforting when all snuggled in bed, but not this time. We had not completely covered the trailer out back, which had several remnants from the garage sale that we were taking to the antique mall. Alas, that meant getting up and going outside.
We crawled out of bed and the dogs were right on our heels. Cordie was barking with every clap of thunder and Frankie was shaking. Ray and I both got dressed and headed out to the back porch, but then Ray turned to me and said, “You wait here and watch the dogs.”
Far be it from me to argue over that suggestion…
By this point, the lightning and thunder were no longer simultaneous, but the rain was coming down in buckets. Ray went out and tightened all the tarps that were already on the trailer, then returned to the house. “Do we have any trash bags?” he asked, and I ran off to the storage closet to grab the box. I returned and watched as he cut out two arm holes and a neck opening and slipped the trash bag over his already wet clothes. He then reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out a plastic bag, which he put on his head, then added his baseball cap. “No need to get any wetter than I already am,” he said and then headed back out.
This time, he went into the barn and retrieved another big tarp which he took out to the trailer. After wrestling the tarp over it, he then closed the barn door and headed back into the house. All the while the dogs and I were standing on the porch watching as the rain continued to pour down and the lightning and thunder moved further westward.
Ray wiggled out of his trash bag raincoat while I ran and grabbed a towel for him. In just a few minutes, he was back in his robe. “Let’s go back to bed,” he said.
We and the dogs headed back to our bedroom.
We settled back into bed, and could now relax and enjoy the rest of the storm. The rain drummed on the tin roof of the porch next to where we slept, and rain-cleaned air blew in through the open window next to our bed. We snuggle back down into the warm covers and slept another two hours.
How lucky I am to have such a chivalrous husband. That level of gentlemanly behaviour does not go unnoticed. While I was ready and willing to go out and help, I must admit I appreciated Ray’s generosity. I am always willing to jump into the fray to help and I was ready to head out in the rain and get soaked to the skin. Still, I so appreciated getting a reprieve from that duty.
Thank you, Ray Beaty, for being such a good husband. You are a good man, now and always. Your wife loves you.
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