Memories of the Rain

I remember when the darkest clouds were receding from the rain. The rain had launched an assault on the buildings, and it peltered all of the small world underneath it. The hungry clouds had taken over the sky, with black vengeance, wrapping all of us mortals into its fury.

But even as the storm blew through as I was at the high school tutoring away, I had not paid much attention to it until I went outside. By then, the rain had started to retreat, just a little bit. A few stragglers came down as I stepped out, but by the moment my bus set out, the sun was starting to shine through. The rays of light found their way out of the labyrinth and tenderly reflected off of the pools of water that gathered on the sidewalks and roads.

As the bus arrived at the first intersection, I saw through the drips of water, an infinite rainbow in each. On one side of the sky were the dark receding clouds and the other side, the startling evening sun. Spring had arrived by then, and each leaf carried on top of it a thousand liquid gemstones, slowly rolling off one by one. On the roads themselves, the passing cars left wakes in their tracks, each wake of water splashed onto the roads created a rainbow, perfect and magnificence, but temporary as they all were.

This world was painted over in a new light. Here was a road so traveled and old to me, but now I was seeing the most colorful and brilliant diamonds scattering all over the asphalt. The twinkling world greeted me as I rode the bus home, and it left this feeling of awe and inspiration. I’ve always loved the rain—the smell and the sound of raindrops on windows never ceases to soothe me. But it never was so beautiful as it was that day. In a few moments, the rain clouds would disappear and the sun would overtake the sky. The distant battle of darkness vs light would be over until nightfall. The orange glow of it all would slowly fade away as but a memory of my childhood. I cherish it always.