I was walking down the street when a bubble of scenario from my college memories popped up. I was startled when a friend annoyingly asked me, “Hey, the droplets of rain smash me like it is the end of my world. Do you want me to be crowned as ‘The Boy in the Rain’? Don’t tell me that you are Hina- san, the sunshine girl. How could you do this to me? Can I have your umbrella, please? I forgot mine.”
I retorted, “I don’t have one. Just get soaked.”
Shocked, he probed me again, “Wow! It is necessary for a person to bring with him/her an umbrella. How come that you don’t even have one?”
I answered him, “When I was young, I used to sing in the rain as I caught every cold drop of it. To me, an umbrella does not only give protection from the pouring rain but as a sign of my love and respect to my mother. She told me to bring with me my umbrella all the time. Sometimes, I neglected to put it in my bag for I thought it was just a hustle and it might occupy empty spaces inside. Because I was that obedient before, I used to bring an umbrella with a tiny whistle even if I was not actually it.”
He showed me a scornful smile and alleged, “But why are you not using it? That’s the main purpose why umbrella was made: to protect yourself from the monstrous heat of the sun and to save yourself from catching colds and fever. Are you not afraid that you might get sick? Is that your way to prove how much you love the sun and rain? Or are you just waiting for someone who will bring an umbrella for you? Are you looking for someone who will fetch you when thunderstorms kiss you? Look, no matter how much you love them, you still need to protect yourself. No one will save you but yourself.”
With a deep sigh, I whispered, “You have no idea how terrified I am every time the pour of rain kisses my head. It feels like my body is a prey of the armies of needles from above. I love how the scent of the decayed and dried wild grasses once they were attacked by the mad sky like how I hate their sound for they’re like battalion of warriors’ footsteps at the roof. My legs are shaking when dewdrops touch my body. This suffocates me. I love how I hate the rain. Tell me, how can’t I love the rain? For just once, halt me from using an umbrella. I want to replace this fear into the warmth of love. I want to experience being kissed by this playful rain. I want to sing and cry with its tears. It’s not that I wanted to get sick. But because I wanted to conquer what scares me. But because I don’t want to be cowardice forever.Let the rain heal these wounds. ”