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Dancing in the Rain

Jarrod Thomas Barkley 1910

I watched my youngest daughter dance with her one year old daughter today. It was raining. Joy had Meagan in her arms, outside, under the awning. I had to smile; it brought back a memory I had forgotten.

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Jarrod groaned, opened his eyes and sat up when he heard footsteps on the roof. It was midnight! There was no reason for anyone to be on the roof that time of night unless... he groaned. Joy, their youngest, had been caught on the roof once before, but it was night time now. She wouldn't have gone out again; would she?

He quickly threw on his pants and boots. Before throwing a shirt on, he locked the window…as the wind was picking up just a little, and it was raining. Quietly he moved across the floor and out the bedroom door, careful not to wake Ester up.

Once he was had his bedroom door shut, Jarrod ran down the hall, passing by his sons' room first, but came to an abrupt halt when he came to his daughters' room. He looked inside. His oldest daughter, eleven year old Anna Maria, was fast asleep in her bed, but when his eyes fell on five year old Joy's bed; Jarrod's heart skipped a beat. The youngest Barkley was not in bed and her window was wide open! His first thought had to have been right…Joy had to be out on the roof again! Remembering the child's fascination with the rain and her stunt on the roof the week before Jarrod let out a few choice words inside his mind. He quickly moved across the floor and climbed through the window. Sure enough, Joy Barkley was dancing on the roof in middle of the rain, though she quickly stopped once she heard someone climbing out on the roof and saw who it was. Before Jarrod could start reprimanding his daughter, she smiled up at him and innocently asked, "How did you know I needed someone to dance with, daddy?"

Her angelic smile and innocence reached up and grabbed him. How he wished life could be as simple as this child was making it. As much as Jarrod's head told him to get the child back into the house and give her the lecture of her life, another idea slowly formed in his mind and he started smiling. "Come." He signed and then held out his hand for his young daughter.

Joy's face fell for she assumed she was going to have to go back to bed. However, that notion disappeared as fast as it came. Once they were by her window, Jarrod signed "Stay here." He hurried to the side of the house, looked around the side and then came back. Joy then watched as father shut the window, to keep anymore rain from getting inside.

"Come." Jarrod signed again and then led his youngest to the side of the house where the roof was flat and a ladder still sat up against it. For once Jarrod was glad his son, sixteen year old Thomas Jarrod, had forgotten to put the ladder away like he was supposed to. He turned, looked down and smiled at Joy. There was an old saying 'If you can beat them, join them', maybe this was one of those times. He again smiled at his daughter, and then they began to dance.

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Joy Barkley Donald 1910

Father came out and danced with Meagan and myself today. It brought back memories…..