christmas evening

I sat watching TV as Christmas Day became Christmas Evening.  It was hot and muggy and the only cooling I had on was the overhead fan.  Earlier in the evening I decided to make a night of it at my cousins farm.   A lot of the rellies had already gathered there for lunch and were staying over til the next day.   It would be a good opportunity to catch up with everyone.  I grabbed the bottle of red wine jumped into the car and headed towards the bridge.   I glanced down at my petrol gauge as I passed the closed petrol station.  It was just on the red.   Damn.   Surely one petrol station would be open.   I pulled into the caravan park but their bowser was turned off.   I did condemplate seeing if the car would make it there and back but then thought better of it.   I then headed for home deflated.   Now the lightening flashed and the thunder rumbled in great rolls over the river.   Willow hid under my chair her ears flattened against her head.  The phone rang.  It was Danny from Western Australia.   I picked up the phone and headed out to the back verandah.  Willow bravely followed me.   She did not want to be left alone.  As I sat down in the one of the green plastic chairs a startled frog who had  been using the chair lept across onto the empty chair.   I apologised for my rudeness and with Willow once again hiding under my chair we sat together in the cool evening air, listened to the thunder and watched the rain pour down.