Those majestic towering clouds are not a cause of delight for others. They are a very real threat, and the weight of water lies heaviest on the poor. The rural Malawian roof is a shallow-angled thatch, and it seems to absorb as much rain as it throws off. This year sodden roofs are collapsing inward, the support struts thrust up like inside-out umbrellas. Walls of unfired brick or rammed earth are sodden too, and prone to collapse.
Tobacco farmers are anxious.
The leaves must be dried, but in this humidity each leaf takes longer and needs a free flow of air around it to prevent mould. Harvesting must continue and there is simply not enough shelter for the drying racks. Yesterday as I came back from church there was rich golden sunlight. In the foreground the Capital City traffic circle was ablaze with scarlet cannas, saffron daisies and purple petunias. The faces of street vendors carried contagious smiles, each an affirmation of the Warm Heart.