Rainy Day

The Bridge – 

The rain splashed against her toes, cold and uninviting, as she walked along the tree-lined street. She was searching for something, anything to hold onto. Anything that made sense. As the lightning flashed around her she began to run; faster and faster into the darkness. Her footfalls sprayed water up around her, wetting her bare legs. Individual drops vanished quickly in the deluge. She gasped for air. She clutched at any last thread in her mind that could hold her together. She stopped and stood in the rain, gazing at the bridge. There was a moment of inner calm as she glanced at the dark water. The wedding that never was, her father’s death, even her mountain of debt was lost in the calm. Each bit seemed absorbed by a lightning strike and blown to a million pieces with each crack of thunder. Tears filled her eyes and mixed with the rain as they streamed down her cheeks. She just cried.

 

Neighborhood Kids – 

They were playing in the rain. All the neighborhood kids were outside in bright plastic galoshes and rain coats, one size too big. Not a one had an umbrella, too restrictive. There were shouts of glee and surprise as one would stomp in a puddle to purposely spray the rest. It wasn’t a dark day, but there was a steady rain, a steady supply of entertainment. They played tag, slipping in the wet grass as they tried to evade whoever was “IT”. They tried to construct a slip-n-slide out of some garbage bags repurposed from a neighbors’ garage. I laughed aloud as each child in turn ended up face first in the grass at the end of the garbage chute. It was endless fun provided by nature and I watched with a mix of sadness and anticipation; the sadness from my broken body and the anticipation from my unspoken hope that one day I would walk again. To play outside in the rain was my only wish, as I sat looking longingly out the window at the neighborhood kids.

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