The Downpour
1/1
Abby took a seat on the concrete steps outside the front door of her home and watched the dark clouds gather. It hadn’t rained all summer and yet these clouds had become a familiar sight, gathering over the small town most afternoons. She vaguely remembered a summer like this one when she was five years old. She really only remembered it because that was the one year that her mother’s flowers hadn’t been very vibrant.
Looking away from the dark storm clouds she couldn’t help but think of how fitting it all was. The clouds had made the sky look dark and gloomy most of the summer which was how she’d felt since early June. Her life had been clouded with anger and betrayal the same way the sky was with the clouds. Likewise, just as lightening colored the sky, hurt and sadness had colored her life.
Abby had always loved the rain. She loved the refreshing feeling on her skin as rain drops fell on her. Even more than the feeling of rain on her skin, she loved the way the world looked after a good rain. She loved that fresh scent that wafted through the air and the coolness of the breezes that followed a storm. She loved the way that any sort of plant looked after a rain, suddenly brighter and perkier, a look that couldn’t be achieved with water from the hose. The rain was one of her favorite things about summer but she’d been denied it all this summer.
It had been close to two months since the last time she’d smiled now. Every day seemed like a repeat of the day before, always the same routine with the same emotions. The worst part about it was that she didn’t know what she hated more, the betrayal or the way she’d let it affect her life.
There was only one thing making life tolerable and that was her best friend, Ryan, and his daily visits. She knew he was worried about her and as much as she wished he wouldn’t, or that she could stop worrying her, things hadn’t changed. He’d told her that she wasn’t the one that lost anything, that it was their loss and not hers. Yet it didn’t change the way she felt, she didn’t understand how someone she’d been friends with since pre-school could go behind her back like that. She also didn’t understand how her boyfriend, the first guy to pledge his love for her, could cheat with one of her oldest friends.
Glancing at her watch, she realized that Ryan would be at her house sooner than she’d realized when she’d come outside. She knew exactly what to expect when he’d arrive. Just as he’d been doing for the past few weeks, he’d do his best to convince her to go with him to do something fun. He’d even offered to go shopping with her, something that she knew he despised doing, and she’d refused. She just didn’t have the desire to go out and interact with other people.
Just as Abby began to let her thoughts wander freely she was drawn back into the real world. It had felt as if there had been a small drop of wetness land on her arm. Instantly she looked towards the sky, unsure if the small drop had been real or a work of her imagination. The sky looked no different and she didn’t feel drops of rain on her face when she looked up.
“Huh,” she said. “I must have imagined it after all.” She put her head back down and closed her eyes, praying she could think of something pleasant.
It was a few moments later when she felt another drop, this one on her elbow. Her head snapped up and she looked up again. Just as before, she didn’t feel anything on her face so she looked away from the sky.
Just as she was about to put her head back down a small discoloration on the concrete walkway in front of her grabbed her attention. The small spot was unmistakable to her. A tiny drop of rain had landed in front of her, the first she’d seen in months.
Silently she prayed that it would rain. She knew that even if nothing else could get her mind off of her current situation a good rain storm would. If it rained she could focus on that and it’s after affects. Yet even as she hoped for the rain she didn’t believe it would actually happen, not after the luck she’d had lately.
Just as she’d given up hope for rain she felt several drops of rain on her arms. Looking up towards the sky, she felt drop after drop hit her face rapidly, each coming sooner than the last. Soon enough it was a complete downpour.
Abby stood up and let the rain run off her skin and saturate her clothing. It was the last thing that she’d expected but as it rained she felt all of her misery slowly fade. It was as if each drop of rain was washing away some of the misery. She mentally compared this to the way the plants perked up after a rain, after they were refreshed by the shower.
I think it should be the calm after the storm, she thought. Abby had always admired the world after a storm. Even though there was usually thunder, and sometimes wind, after the rain got done pouring everything was better. It never seemed to matter how hard it rained, no matter how large the puddles were or the amount of force with the rain splashed, when the storm cleared everything was fresh.
She was soaked by the time something interrupted her peacefulness. It was Ryan’s voice that finally grabbed her attention. He was walking away from his truck and towards her. As he neared he asked, “What are you doing out here? It’s pouring!”
For the first time in weeks she genuinely smiled and answered, “I’m starting fresh.”
Looking away from the dark storm clouds she couldn’t help but think of how fitting it all was. The clouds had made the sky look dark and gloomy most of the summer which was how she’d felt since early June. Her life had been clouded with anger and betrayal the same way the sky was with the clouds. Likewise, just as lightening colored the sky, hurt and sadness had colored her life.
Abby had always loved the rain. She loved the refreshing feeling on her skin as rain drops fell on her. Even more than the feeling of rain on her skin, she loved the way the world looked after a good rain. She loved that fresh scent that wafted through the air and the coolness of the breezes that followed a storm. She loved the way that any sort of plant looked after a rain, suddenly brighter and perkier, a look that couldn’t be achieved with water from the hose. The rain was one of her favorite things about summer but she’d been denied it all this summer.
It had been close to two months since the last time she’d smiled now. Every day seemed like a repeat of the day before, always the same routine with the same emotions. The worst part about it was that she didn’t know what she hated more, the betrayal or the way she’d let it affect her life.
There was only one thing making life tolerable and that was her best friend, Ryan, and his daily visits. She knew he was worried about her and as much as she wished he wouldn’t, or that she could stop worrying her, things hadn’t changed. He’d told her that she wasn’t the one that lost anything, that it was their loss and not hers. Yet it didn’t change the way she felt, she didn’t understand how someone she’d been friends with since pre-school could go behind her back like that. She also didn’t understand how her boyfriend, the first guy to pledge his love for her, could cheat with one of her oldest friends.
Glancing at her watch, she realized that Ryan would be at her house sooner than she’d realized when she’d come outside. She knew exactly what to expect when he’d arrive. Just as he’d been doing for the past few weeks, he’d do his best to convince her to go with him to do something fun. He’d even offered to go shopping with her, something that she knew he despised doing, and she’d refused. She just didn’t have the desire to go out and interact with other people.
Just as Abby began to let her thoughts wander freely she was drawn back into the real world. It had felt as if there had been a small drop of wetness land on her arm. Instantly she looked towards the sky, unsure if the small drop had been real or a work of her imagination. The sky looked no different and she didn’t feel drops of rain on her face when she looked up.
“Huh,” she said. “I must have imagined it after all.” She put her head back down and closed her eyes, praying she could think of something pleasant.
It was a few moments later when she felt another drop, this one on her elbow. Her head snapped up and she looked up again. Just as before, she didn’t feel anything on her face so she looked away from the sky.
Just as she was about to put her head back down a small discoloration on the concrete walkway in front of her grabbed her attention. The small spot was unmistakable to her. A tiny drop of rain had landed in front of her, the first she’d seen in months.
Silently she prayed that it would rain. She knew that even if nothing else could get her mind off of her current situation a good rain storm would. If it rained she could focus on that and it’s after affects. Yet even as she hoped for the rain she didn’t believe it would actually happen, not after the luck she’d had lately.
Just as she’d given up hope for rain she felt several drops of rain on her arms. Looking up towards the sky, she felt drop after drop hit her face rapidly, each coming sooner than the last. Soon enough it was a complete downpour.
Abby stood up and let the rain run off her skin and saturate her clothing. It was the last thing that she’d expected but as it rained she felt all of her misery slowly fade. It was as if each drop of rain was washing away some of the misery. She mentally compared this to the way the plants perked up after a rain, after they were refreshed by the shower.
I think it should be the calm after the storm, she thought. Abby had always admired the world after a storm. Even though there was usually thunder, and sometimes wind, after the rain got done pouring everything was better. It never seemed to matter how hard it rained, no matter how large the puddles were or the amount of force with the rain splashed, when the storm cleared everything was fresh.
She was soaked by the time something interrupted her peacefulness. It was Ryan’s voice that finally grabbed her attention. He was walking away from his truck and towards her. As he neared he asked, “What are you doing out here? It’s pouring!”
For the first time in weeks she genuinely smiled and answered, “I’m starting fresh.”