15 minutes

Last night, I had a rare 15min of being alone in a house full of people. The kids were in bed. KH was coaching Isaac in Maths. The cat was out on the prowl. And I had 15 blissful minutes alone outside on the porch. In semi-darkness illuminated only by the orange glow of the streetlamps, I sat, enjoying the breeze. It had been such a hot muggy still day and the house felt so stuffy - despite all our large windows flung open. It was sheer pleasure sitting there in the cooler outdoors, with earphones playing my favourite music stuffing my ears.

For once, I could sit and watch as lightning streaked and glowed across the night sky. I could see the resident bats swoop from one branch to the next, one tree to the other. My thoughts could roam where they will without interruption.

And then, came a voice plaintively calling: "Muu-uuummmmyyyy..." and my alone-time ended.

But for 15min - sheer bliss.