Do you remember the rainy seasons in Panama?
Did you ever own an umbrella while living the Panama experience in the old Canal Zone?
All the time I lived in Panama, I never owned an umbrella. When the rain curtain would appear we would all wait it out. Why? Well most rain showers would last only 20 to 30 minutes tops.
I can recall leaving to go to have lunch with a buddy at the Rodman Club. We were both working at Rodman Naval Station in building #2 Supply Department.
As we walked to the EM Club I notice a really small dark cloud. I knew we would get rain by afternoon but I figured we could enjoy our lunch and then be back at work before the rains came... Not a chance!
While we were in the club enjoying the day’s special fare of broiled Corvina with tajadas rolling thunder and flashes of lightening would sporadically penetrate through the din of everybody talking at the same time and enjoying their lunch.
After we had finish we walked outside. The wind had picked up and you could smell the rain in the air but no drops yet. So we started out walking back to our office. It was about a mile and half back to building 2. About half way there we started to get those pineapple drops all around but we still thought we could make it.
Well, to cut to the chase I looked over my right shoulder and there was a rain curtain coming at us like a run away Chiva. In no time or before you could say Jackie Robinson we were soaked. Our shoes were making the squishy sounds as we kept on walking trough the rain and puddles. As we turned on the street that passed in front of building 2, the Supply Department, by the old workshops the rain stopped and the sun came out like magic.
Of course we were soaked to the bone and looked like a couple of wet puppies. The sun's rays began to steam the water off our Panabrisa shirts and we began to dry out like white clothes laid out in the backyard by the maid for control bleaching. So we slowed our pace down and we arrived at work for the afternoon session right as the whistle sounded to begin the afternoon work session. We were Wrinkle City and we continued our squishy walking. We both worked in a warehouse office with the air condition set a sub zero. OOOOO Maaaamma Mi was it cold! But we continued to dry bit by bit…
Using the famous brown paper towels only found in the old Canal Zone we dried ourselves the best we could and then squished our way to our desk to attack our work in progress, which we had left prior to going to lunch.
One thing about Panama was Siesta Time... you could count on the phones not ringing again until 2:30 Pm in the afternoon.
By 3 PM we were both quite dry but very wrinkled. By knock off time my leather shoes were damp and a bit stiff but I could wear them home. Besides my dependable 1958 Dodge Horizon was parked across the street. I did not making any stops on my way home to my apartment off Calle Cincuenta that afternoon.
Did I buy an umbrella the next day?
No, I kept saying, “Manana, Manana is good enough for me!” I would often think about buying an umbrella under a torrential tropical storm but living in paradise for more years than I want to count I knew that the sun would be shinning brightly in less than 30 minutes after a down pour. Every Panamanian knows you don't need an umbrella when the sun is out in Panama... you just need a bit of shade from time to time as you go about taking care of business… Yes indeed.
