The world perceives rainy days negatively, deeming them sad, or depressing. Its chilling weather and the water it brings draw people away from parks, from beautiful times spent in the grass.

But for every individual, there is a taste, and some folks more than others learn to love the rain. Wether is the warmth of a blanket, or the comfort at home, or even for the lazy and introverts, the staying at home, or the calming sound of the droplets smashing with the floor…

However, this day was different, that day we had school, and rain didn’t come till halfway from school. I saw her leave, heading in my direction. Her hair was a fierce red, shiny as copper yet soft as the finest of silks. The girl I loved, yet had to keep away…

You see, I had nothing to offer her, only my love in kindness, for no job, and no money, and less time for that matter.

I was in a war with my feelings, for if I became enamored, my heart would have broken. So in my mind, I could only say: “I love her, I care, but my time is not here yet. What can I offer, for I am trash, I’ve got not even cash.”

While I delved in my thoughts walking along the sidewalk, in a sudden, I felt a droplet splash against my nose. As if it were routine, I opened my umbrella, and the sound of the rain took my whole focus.

I reached to the sky with my nose, and took a long sniff, for I had to delight myself in the smell of rain near. As it is often with crazy weather, the sky decided to be generous with us, but as much as I depict it in nice words, at floor level madness assures.

Most felines, though lazy in the day, started sprinting to cover from the rain, while others resigned to the soaking curtains which descended. The other of us were like this, or were prepared, and some crazy folks even started to play, soaking each other with the puddles in the sidewalks, in the grass..

But my thought and contemplation were interrupted in the most abrupt fashion, when my gaze was settled on her, hiding under a tree just not to get wet.

Closing my umbrella, and tucking my head under my jacket, I ran back to the poor girl, who already looked extremely soaked.

Opening the umbrella again, this time over both of our heads, I couldn’t help to smile and blush, as in my head, I had no idea of what to say.

– Oh! Thank you so much, Crono! – She said, trembling, cold and wet, yet happy to see a good action.

– Uh- April, you’re freezing! – I struggled to speak, as the temperature had suddenly dropped, and my voice became raspy.

– Hold this please. – I said while handing her the umbrella. I took off my jacket, and walked around her, carefully placing it around her shoulders.

– Oh, Crono, no, you’re going to freeze, keep your jacket. – she said with a concerned voice.

– Don’t worry for me, remember, I’m an Arctic fox. This for me is beach weather. –

She chuckled a bit, and we continued walking towards each one’s home under the shade of the umbrella.

I couldn’t help to see how cute she looked, a little redhead panda from another country…

SPLASHH!

A car ran through a puddle beside us and soaked us to the bone.

April gasped in dismay, while I couldn’t hold back a couple chuckles. An angry smirk came up on her face, she couldn’t hold back, and she playfully pushed me while asking between chuckles:

– What are you laughing at? –

– Sometimes it’s just better to laugh at what happens than cry, you know, and well, well not be needing this anymore. – I said as I closed the umbrella.

– Maybe this will cheer me up. – She said as she stomped on a puddle to try to soak me more. I did the same, and we stopped our walk to try to soak the other one.

This was one of those moments that last forever. We were playing under the rain, nothing else mattered, not being completely wet, not being dead cold, nor that we were almost strangers to each other… Just two 5th graders being kids…

HOOOONK!

A woman on the other side of the road started to shout at us from her car in a foreign language… the same car that had soaked us?

To my surprise, April answered to her in that same language, turn around to me, and said:

– Mom is here, I have to go. – She said in a sad way, while handing me my jacket.

– Keep it for now, you need it more than me. – I answered
She ran to her car. Her mom looked really angry, and I imagined that when I got back home without my jacket, my mom would be pretty angry too… But it was worth it, a small price to pay for a moment that I will treasure forever.