March 11, 2021
Mr. Sun hid behind the clouds gathered in the sky. People quickened their paces and look for a cover or sheds under the canopy of trees. Lucky are those who opened their umbrellas before the clouds spat out their tears. And who are the happiest people once it starts to woosh as the heavens opened? Of course, the kids are as happy as the Earth.
The white beads of nature start to pour, the kids ran out and start to rumble, some find it off-putting, but Mother Earth is always rejoicing.
Who doesn't love the crystal clear fluid dripping from the naked flowers, thunking the tops of the trees, whirring off the leaves, burbling into the drains, chinking off the windows, strumming against the roof, fizzing against the top of the cars, swooshing onto the flooded fields, and smashing onto the heads of the crowd?
Who doesn't love to feel the cold wind it brings, and how it whispers in the air like a white noise of nature. Who doesn't love to see it whizzing from the sky and plunking onto the muddy Earth? And the transition of the blue sky into a gravel-grey?
Rain washes the remnants of the Earth, but what's unwashable are the memories in the pouring rain. Memories that will forever remain in minds of young people, and for us adults who remember the joyful past, we sometimes tell ourselves, "I wish to be a kid again so I can play in the pouring rain."
When was the last time I got drenched in the rain, 25, 20, 15 years ago? But the memories are still intact and unscathed, unwashable by the whizzing water from above.
Living in the countryside is something that city people will envy. With fresher air and lesser pollution, more shades of green, and closer to nature. And one thing is my favorite back when I was a kid, to bathe in the rain without worrying about getting stain on clothes and getting cold.
I remember when our village doesn't have a water connection yet. My mother will take advantage of the heavy rain. She will save the rainwater and use it for washing clothes and plates, and cleaning the house. The rainwater back then was safe to drink. You just need to filter the small particles, boil, and let it cool then it's good to drink.
©image source: chaitanyaproducts.com
While she was busy saving rainwater, we, her kids, were busy playing in the rain. We will stamp our bare feet on the ground, and splash the dirty water over each other.
Our house is being surrounded by nature. Trees and plants on the front yard, planted by our green thumb father. On the left side you will find a small pond and at the backside is a long river. Using the banana leaf, we will make a boat and float it onto the pond.
The river has been our training place for swimming, and it was more enjoyable to practice when the rain was pouring. My brave elder brothers will climb up the big tree by the riverside, and from the top, they will do a backflip off the tree, and entered the water with hardly a big splash. I was scared and weak, so I was just along the river, clapping after they make a splash.
©image sources: travelblog.org
My eldest brother made a treehouse on the big santol tree (cotton fruit tree). And every time it rains, the treehouse has been our playing ground. And we don't have to worry about it getting muddy, because the rain will just wash it off onto the ground.
My cousins will sometimes call me to play the 'patentiro'. We own the road and will spread on roadsides. But instead of playing patintero, we will get our 'tabo' (dipper) and play water splashing.
©image source://www.pinterest.com
If we were at school and the rain starts to pour, we will walk through the dirty water-logged roads not waiting for the rain to stop. The umbrellas and raincoats are kept, and books are placed inside the plastic bags. From school to home we will gladly sing and dance in the rain. Sometimes my elder brother will cut a banana leaf and make it as our umbrella but was actually useless as we still get wet.
There were many happy childhood memories with the rain, but they're quite too long if I will write them all. They were funny and crazy moments but who bothers? We were kids at those times anyway. But if there are funny memories, there are also unexpected and terrible memories.
A few walks from our house is a hill, and a cell tower was constructing on top of it. The bottom of the hill has been our playing ground, but at that time, the construction materials were scattered everywhere.
One rainy day we planned to visit the hill. With my elder brothers, we stepped out barefoot from the house and excitedly ran heading for the hill before our mother get home from the market. Steel bars and some metals were found on every corner. We didn't bother as we want to climb up the hill and make the time worth it while the rain lasts.
I didn't care to step on the stones and scratch my legs by the tall grasses. That is how a kid behaves, doesn't care about the world as long as she is happy. But one step went wrong when I didn't notice the steel bar arching on my way.
I accidentally stepped on it but I didn't feel the pain until I saw the blood dripping from the soal of my right foot. I held my limp foot and fought back in panic. No tears come out of my eyes as I know it was my fault. My mother helped me treat my wound until I get better. I was limped for a few weeks or so, and good thing it was our summer holiday.
From that day onwards I did not play barefoot under the rain again. But nothing can stop a kid from going out and play in the rain. As my limp foot got totally healed, everything went back to normal. Back to playing naughtily and happily as if there's no tomorrow.
We all have memories buried down in our psyches and memory with the rain is of the billion-fold ping. And sometimes just sitting by the window, enjoying the white noise of nature and the whizzing view from the sky, will remind us about our childhood crazy acts while bathing in the rain.
I wish I could be a kid again, collecting the raindrops in my palm, stamping barefoot on a muddy road, dancing, singing, rejoicing while receiving the silver icicles of nature.
Let me be a kid again, let me play in the rain.
I was inspired to write this after reading @Ruffa article Something in the rain (childhood memory)
What about you, what are your unforgettable experiences in the rain?
Mrami pong alaala ung pliligo po sa ulan lalo na po nung bata pa po aq, proud to be one of the batang 80-90's po, lol, dati pa nga po cnsahod po nmin ung tubig ulan n un po pinanghuhugas sa mga pinagkainan, pmbuhos po sa c.r n panlaban po sa mga damit, lol, tpos dati po tumatapat po kmi sa gutter o sa dulo po ng mga yero pra ung buhos po ng tubig ulan eh mrami n tuloy-tuloy po, nkakamiss po ung mga gnun n ung kabataan po, lol, daming mgagandang alaala po