The first flood in the Ancient Town was oddly calm

In my first week here the river came up into the Ancient Town and I was the only person who looked worried. It was October, which I had been told, but being told is different from watching a street turn into a canal after lunch. The shop owners on the lane lifted stock onto high shelves, swept their doorsteps and kept the kettle going. A neighbour pushed a bicycle through the water like it was a normal afternoon. I stood there holding a bag of rice. Now the lowest shelf stays empty from October. Put anything you care about above knee height before you go out.