HAVE YOU EVER TASTED RAIN? THE TASTE OF RAIN (C) a short story by BISHARA MALENA yesterday... i tasted a drop of rain- though i knew not the reason- nor cloud from which it came- in fact... IT found ME- if the lord would say the same- so now im counting tears of God- through the driest window pane- but...a taste of rain is merely a taste of rain- whether it fell from Gods eyes- or epic hurricane- but...a taste of rain... is merely a taste of rain- whether it fell from Gods eyes - or epic... hurricane- It had rained for what seemed like days with no relief in sight. The storm had gotten so bad that the local news published an advisory warning all pet owners to bring their pets inside; people in those parts didnt trust the news much, not since the small town was almost wiped off the face of planet due to the news not correctly pen pointing the direction of an F5 tornado just a few short years before. Mrs.Brooks had six dogs, she didnt hesitate to bring all six of them in, the biggest was called Airman. Word has it that the only reason she had so many dogs was to help her deal with the death of her husband of fifty years, ironically enough..his nickname was airman. As the rain fell faster, and the clouds got madder, and it felt as though thunder traveled with an agenda of its own, Mr.Brooks gave notice to how all six of her dogs gathered at the window to watch the rain drops massage the window pane...almost hypnotize by the storms song. She yelled at the dogs to get away from the window. Heey...what are you... crazzy...?!!? Get yunder from that there window... airman you should know better!!! but to no avail. Finally she decided to reach for her favorite cane, the very cane she gave to her husband the day before the tornado took his life. She stood from his favorite couch which he never left and though her old heart raced, her body traveled at a snails pace. Get away from that window, cant yall hear me!!!! When she finally reached the couch the dogs occupied, she was exhausted. Gasping for whatever breath she could muster, Mrs. Brooks pushed each dog away from the window one by one with her husbands cane, but when it was time to push airman away from the window pain, she couldnt budge him. Airman...Airman.. why are you so fascinated by the rain...why? Airman continued his fixation, so much so that Mrs. Brooks decided to stand behind him in an attempt to see what he saw. What she saw shocked her. After seeing what shed seen, she too was fixated. She looked through the loudest thunder, the highest winds, and the heaviest rain, and through her backyard and at the edge of the woods, there she saw a young boy, and a young girl doing the most unspeakable... playing in the rain. It was a lost art. They laughed. They laughed loud. They looked up at God and they laughed. They shouted...shouted for no apparent reasons. They played in the rain...just as she and her husband did when they were just kids. It took her memory back to a time, back to a dream, back to a promise that was made way back then...... REWIND TIME 61 years A rainy day in their small town, Sheila and Corey played in the rain. So...why do they call you Airman anyway. Young Sheila asked. Its cause i like fighter jets. Corey grabs his replica fighter jet from the porch. Oh...now it all makes sense. Sheila replied sarcastically. As time passed, young Sheila and Airman would find each other on what seemed like the rainiest of days. But this particular day there conversation would be slightly different from all the other rainy day conversations.....under the apple tree. I heard that if you taste rain, that means God is crying... you think thats true? Corey asked. Dont believe everything you hear Corey, of course thats not true, everybody knows when you taste rain, thats a loved one saying goodbye Sheila answered. Do you believe in re-re-? Corey couldnt pronounce the word. Reincarnation? Sheila, nose in the air. My mom says that doesnt exist. Yea but...what if it did? Corey asked intently. What would you? They could barely hear each other for the rudeness of the wind and the rhythm of thunder, which by way theyd depicted as Gods sneeze. Sheila attempted to talk over the rain. Well... lets seeee... i would come back as a powerful lion, and rule the jungle. Oh...oh... wait...wait...i got it... i would come back as a queen, the queen of America. Corey not finding her amusing. But...but... America has no queen silly. Exactly Sheila, nose in the air performing her best queen impersonation. Precisely why i shall return as such. They laughed a jumped and frolicked in the rain. The more drenched they became, the more exuberant energy overcame them. Sheila stopped in mid dance and asked.. Sooo...what would you be if you came back...airman? i know what i would return as... And just what would that be, a superhero saving the world from evil? no.... Corey replied. A millionaire...? She guessed again. No. Corey told her. Oh wait... wait i got it i got it...an Airman. Corey replied no yet again. Okay!! Sheila shouted in the rain. I give up!! She looked at Corey drenched in rain. So what would you be... what would you come back as? Corey looked her in her eyes with all sincerity and cracked not a smile before he replied. A rain drop. A rain drop?? Sheila laughed uncontrollably, forgetting she was soaked, and her shoes were covered in mud, she dropped to the ground in laughter. Corey lowered his head and distanced himself. Sheila explained. Well how could you not expect me to laugh at such a ridiculous answer. I mean... why on earth would you want to be reincarnated as a rain drop of all things? So i can watch you from above...and when the time comes, i will return from the clouds to kiss you one last time. Sheila gazed in utter confusion, amazed at what Corey allowed to flow from his lips. But how would i know which rain drop is you? Corey replies in his young voice. Youll know....youll just know. FAST FORWARD BACK TO PRESENT DAY As Mrs.Brooks watched the kids continue to play in the rain, she too did the unspeakable... she dropped her cane and walked slowly to the back door with no help. She opened the door and she smelled rain. She didnt reach for her umbrella which was at an arms length away. She walked out into the storm and gazed at the heavens, secretly searching for Corey in the clouds. She thought back in time as the rain drenched her body and her face as it had done countless times before when they were young. Sheila turned around to witness all six of her dogs watching her through the same window theyd previously watched the kids through. She headed back towards the house, the storm was getting worse. She reached her porch before she turned and look to the clouds once again. She smiled at the sky through the storm once more... and before she wiped the rain from her drenched face to return inside... she licked her lips.... and tasted rain. and for a second i thought of you- as if youd really come back to kiss me- like you promised you would do- THE TASTE OF RAIN (C) short story by BISHARA MALENA
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 18:48:21 +0000
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