On That One Rainy Afternoon...

As my alarm went off this morning, I tried to open my eyes with what force and energy I could gather. The best I could do was one eye half opened. I stretched my hand and reached for my phone on the bedside table. I pressed stop on the alarm prompt and got blinded by the bright screen of my phone. That will wake me up thank you very much.

I scrolled across the surface and looked for the weather app. I have just under an hour commute to work so planning for the weather is in my routine. The weather finally let up and it listed a good week ahead. This was good news for me since for the passed few days the rain has been pouring its soul here and there in every chance it can get. I have nothing against the rain, it's just that the commute is a little bit more of a challenge when it's wet outside and everything feels gloomy. Also, there is that melancholic atmosphere whenever the clouds are grey and the tears of the sky are pouring down to the hungry ground.

Yes, I have nothing against the rainy days, in fact rainy days have their special place in my heart, in my mind and in my soul. Whenever I see the raindrops tap on my window pane, I always travel back in time, on that fateful day, one rainy afternoon.

"Yo dude! Are you going home already?" one of my college classmate said. "Yes, I have some game to finish." I replied.

"We're playing DOTA across the street. Aren't you going with us?"

"I think I'll pass. I'll just play at home. Besides, it looks like it's gonna rain. I don't have an umbrella with me." I answered as I peeked between the blinds of our classroom.

Back then I rarely have an umbrella with me because my grandmother got tired of buying me one because I always, I mean always, end up losing it. By then, I have lost a couple of dozen already. And it was not an exaggeration. I've had umbrellas that are long and big and the little ones that are foldable but no matter what it is, I always lose them. Some I forgot to bring home and some I don't even know what happened to them.

Just as I said it, the rain started to pour down. It was not a heavy downpour but it has a steady flow. I looked around the room and asked my classmates who are still there if they had an umbrella to share. And they answered in unison, NONE. Why did I even bother to ask a question I already know the answer to. Anyhow I sat down in exasperation. I looked around the room if there's anything I could play with.

I went beside the blackboard and noticed that it had a removable side cover and as any normal human would do, I lift it and pried it open. As dust and cobwebs flew around the room and unto my face something fell down and hit my foot. Alas, it's a brown foldable umbrella. I guess it was sitting atop the blackboard and I somehow knocked it out of place and it seemed that it fell down from the heavens. Upon examining it, I could positively deduce that it was there for a long time. It was covered in dust and even its crevices were filled with dust particles. At last, I can go home.

I walked outside the classroom and out of the university's gates. I stood there under the rain, sheltered by my newly owned umbrella (don't get me wrong, I asked around if it belonged to anybody and got no answer. I would have brought it to a lost and found corner but I assumed that wherever it was, it was closed for the day so as a decent human being, I took care of it. :) ), waiting for a public vehicle (jeepney) to stop in front of me and other passengers.

Even then, commuting while it is raining was already a hassle. After the prolonged wait, I was finally get aboard one. I irritably sat on the far side and as usual, acted like a bus conductor would. I also have nothing against passing a payment from a passenger to the driver but I swear, some people are just mean. There were these people who could pass the fare directly to the driver but they would for some reason deliberately give you the payment so you can give it to the driver afterwards. My favorite of these folks are the ones who will sit close to the exit far away from the driver even if there's only the two of you riding in the back. They will then stretch their arms not towards the driver but towards you so you will then have to pass it to the driver instead. Please, just please scoot over to the driver you lazy sons of a......Anyway, long story cut short I arrived in front of our town's public market and alighted from the vehicle. It was still raining then so I guess keeping the umbrella was worth the guilt.

It was still a bit of a walk before I can ride another vehicle to get me home. This time, it was a tri-wheeled motorcycle (Tricycle). As I was walking towards the terminal, another jeepney stopped before me and I had to halt my pace for several passengers alighted and they rushed to take shelter from the rain while others walked away under their own umbrellas.

Among the crowd who braved the rain and had to stopped at a temporary shelter, I saw her, the most serene and the most humble beauty I have ever seen. With a handkerchief, she was gently patting her partially wet hair. She was crowned with a deep black hair with its strands flowing flawlessly down to her shoulders. Some raindrops glisten on her fair face as she winced a bit when she got pressed between some other people. I was not able to discern from her school uniform the school she was from, I could not even tell if she was a high school student or a college student. Not from the white blouse she was graciously wearing, not from the dark blue skirt she's fashionably dressed with and not even from the black school shoes she was rocking.

Her eyes of deep soulful black landed on mine. From the shape of her gorgeous eyes, it's obvious that she was from an ancient descent, that or she just woke up, those dreamy sleepy eyes. She was not wearing any make up on, that I could tell, not even her pinkish lips were tainted by a lip enhancing cream or coloring fluids. She smiled at me showing her immaculate set of teeth. I never knew that teeth could shine so brightly white. With all the little boy's courage in me, I awkwardly smiled back. And even now, I am amazed how I walked towards her involuntarily and politely offered her to share MY umbrella with me. And wow, just wow. She said YES!

I softly asked her, "Where are you headed to?" I looked at her then quickly looked away, being careful enough not to be caught staring. Oh what a shame if I had tripped at that time. I would die form embarrassment. She shot a look back at me and answered, "I'll be going to the mall. I need to buy some things for my project."

That meant that I only have a few minutes with her under the umbrella before we go our separate ways. After we cross the intersection ahead of us, there will be another terminal for jeepneys where she needed to ride to go the mall. My way home is not there and I have to make a right turn before crossing the intersection to go to the tricycles' terminal, that was my ride home.

"Oh I see, let me get you there. It's bad to be drenched in the rain." I guessed my concern reached her as he politely agreed and told me other stuff about the project she was going to do and other stuff such as where she lived and all.

The words I wanted to say were hard to find and all I could do was get lost in her stare, the way she speaks and the way I wish the road gets longer, time moves slower and may our feet keep walking.

The way her shoulder was gently pressed against mine gave me chills and shivers down my stomach. I finally understood the saying "butterflies in the stomach". Usually, there's that distinct smell the pavement releases when it rains but at that time, I could only sense her sweet but mildly scent. I wished nothing else but time be stopped right there and then.

But as we all know, all good things must come to an end. For me it was the doorway of the jeepney. I watched her as she climbed aboard the vehicle and sat beside the doorway. She looked back at me smiling and offered words of gratitude. I felt the cold sensation spreading all through out my body, maybe it's from the rain, maybe it's from the idea that this was goodbye and I will never see her again.

With a heavy heart, I turned around and walked my way. A few steps away from her felt like miles apart. I looked up the sky but I cannot see it, oh yes, I have an umbrella. I quickly turned on my heels and ran towards the jeepney terminal. I thanked the heavens that she was still there. I found my way, in front of her, panting and gasping for air. As soon as I recovered, I folded my umbrella, I grabbed her hand and placed the umbrella on her hand. "You need this more than I do." She hesitated a bit and was surprised. She declined at first as she also grabbed my hand.

"I insist. You should stay dry." I gently pushed her hand with the umbrella on her lap and smiled at her. I then ran as fast as I could from the rain.

All the way back home, there's nothing I could think of aside from the words I could have said to her, all the things I could have told her. And then it hit me, the stupidity hit me hard. I didn't even got her name. The basic of all the things. I did not get her name.

And up to this day, I have no name to pair to that face, I have no name to associate with that girl. And just like that, it was the best love story I never had.

What about you? Is there anything you remember when it is raining outside and you are all alone with your thoughts?

Lead image : Photo by Adrianna Calvo from Pexels