Last week I saw a pretty rainbow outside Morissons. I couldn't help but stop to let out a "Wah..." while blocking the exit. Funnily enough, this very pretty half rainbow triggered a memory from a long time ago, when we were still staying at 736. I remembered how Mummy used to like imparting scientific wisdom, particularly when they related to everyday events like rainbows and making your own glue. We were also often made to think of why things happen the way they do and to try and find out the problem and fix spoiled/broken things before giving plumbers and electricians a go. Ok I only thought of the rainbow and glue part when I saw the Morissons rainbow but now I am riminiscing.

One day, the topic was "Rainbows", which were a new, rare and magical thing to us back when we were young. And Mummy said,

"Do you know that you can make your own rainbow?"

And we (or I) was all,

"Whooaaoaoa... Like, paint the sky?"

I was not a bright child.

Mummy started explaining about reflection and refraction and light and water and things. So we trooped down to the grass patch downstairs with a bottle of water to watch our mother produce a rainbow out of a mouthful of water. We might have gotten a tiny shimmer of colour at one point but all in all, I learnt that even rainbows are not magical and that science can explain everything.

Unfortunately, the memory of Mummy walking around with a mouthful of water searching for a good, solid ray of sunshine to experiment on, with 3 excited girls in tow brought a bubble of giggles to my throat, which I initially managed to control. But when I thought of her forcefully spitting each precious mouthful of water in order to achieve maximal spray effect (and 3 mesmerised girls staring intently at the mixture of water and saliva droplets), I burst out laughing at the Morissons entrance. And my nice housemates who had mixed expressions of surprise, bewilderment and concern were nice enough to chuckle along politely when I explained my unprovoked laughter.

Ah. Fond memories. You know you are getting old when these things start to make you gaze off and smile for a while.