When It Rains... It pours...

The gentle pitter-patter of the rain brought my attention out of my thoughts. A quick glance to the sky alerted me of the fact that dark threatening black clouds loomed overhead. I bring my swing slowly to a stop knowing I was still a good walk away from home yet. As I walked my thoughts drift to my poor sister and how her disability and my mother’s lack of care pushed so much stress onto me.  Worry etched my face as I thought of my hard popped blow up mattress that I had popped months ago due to its old age. My dirty shirt clutching my small eight-year-old shoulder as I walked, No fear rang out in me as the rain continued to fall harder as I had not really felt the emotion in so long. Looking back on my life I felt no sorrow for what happened to me. I had no idea I even had it bad, it was all so normal for me. I walked up to my small home knocking lightly and then trying the door handle. It was locked, of course, my parents didn’t care. No replay came to me; I knocked again harder glancing up at the sky, darkness now perverting my once lit street.  A nervous shiver runs up my spine as the rain continues to grow steadily harder. A nervous shout rises in my chest coming out only weak and meek but still leaving my throat sore.  I sit gently on the hard cement my arms pulled into my shirt to try to keep warm but by this time the rain had become colder, soaking through my small shirt and leaving my wt and shivering. I realized I need to stay warm somehow, someway. On shivering legs I stand moving off the porch, I move to the car gently trying the handles to no avail. It was locked of course. Moving to each window of the house I peer in, spying through the fogged glass my mother and father sitting on the couch watching TV. I knock softly fear to enter my mind as I watch neither move to even show the see me though I knew they could.  My small arms wrap around my waist around my chest as I move away from the window and off the property walking down the road not really knowing where I’m walking but walking nevertheless.  On and on I traveled, around the block over and over my small legs moving of the own accord almost. Numbness aching within me as the loneliness of such a walk takes over my mind.  A flash of light suddenly appears behind me, I ignore it silently till the car comes to a slow next to me. Bewildered and panicky my first thought is to run but as I try to move my legs any faster they threaten to give out and so I stop and simply stand there the weight of my clothing a burden to me.  The window of the car rolls down gently and a woman of late age appears before me,  a concerned expression darkening her features, red curly hair covers her face as she calls out to me.

“Are you alright Hun?” The rain was falling harder almost coming down sideways as the wind picks up chucking the icy cold terror into my face. 

I whimper out, “Yes madam, I am OK. Just enjoying the rain, I kind of like this kind of weather.” A light fib sliding from me, the women seemed to accept this answer though and the window slides up slowly without another word and the car begins to roll on again. Silent tears slide down my numb face as I begin to walk again forcing myself to move. Each step harder than the last as the painful wind tears through my clothing, Another set of lights appear behind me but my numb mind doesn’t even notice until a voice calls out to me and says.

“Here I brought you this.” She hands a bag out the car window and I take it looking perplexed. “Poke holes in it and wear it, that way it will take the wind and rain off of you Hun.” I smile and do so relive the wind and rain was taken off my body.

“Thank you, Madam, ”I say though my rattling teeth.  I begin walking again but this time she follows beside me and speaks again.

“Why don’t you hop in, I’ll take you to my home and get you some of my son's clothing so that you will be out of the wetness. Id hates to see a nice young fellow like you with a cold.” My mind sputters numbly thinking of all the horrible things that could happen in such a scenario.

“No…..Thank you though Madam” She seems to think before being persistent tries another tact I begin walking again and not giving up she follows in her car.

“My house is just at the corner here at least follow me there.” She says again. I smile gently and think to myself, I'll just stay outside I won’t go in I should be safe then.

I call back to her “O…ok…” My voice shaky from the cold rain and I watch as her window rolls up and I walk slowly alongside the car feeling almost detached from my body like I was walking in a dream. The coldness feeling far away but my boy still shivering, the car pulls to a stop and turns into a driveway at the end of the street. The rain coming down a bit more slowly as she walks to her gate opening it and gesturing me in., I stand at the front door a few minutes before a flash of lightning and a huge clap of thunder sends me scampering inside against my better judgment. She offers me her bathroom and a fresh set of clothing as well as a bag to put my old clothing in and I take them glassily weary of her yet but wishing to be rid of this cold wetness that seems to permeate my every bone. Upon leaving the bathroom she begins asking questions.

“What’s your favorite food Lad?”

“Pizza…” I reply, after which she picks up the phone ordering a large pepperoni pizza for delivery and sits down at the end of the table.  Her next question was one I expected and I sigh softly upon hearing it.

“What’s the real reason you were out there in that rain…?” I began telling her my story finishing with the simple statement of.

“It’s not really their fault they probably couldn’t hear me” She grabs the phone and walks out the room leaving me to contemplate my thoughts but hands me a soda before leaving.  It is the first drink of coke I had ever had the acidic taste burnt and hurt me so I didn’t drink much.  She smiled at me coming back in when a knock at the door brought the delivery man. She paid the guy and then lays the pizza before me. Being considerate I wait as she grabs slices (only 2) from the box. She stares at me for a second and I realized she wishes me to eat with surprise. I hadn’t thought women as kind as she had existed even.  I dig in at first barely eating much at first before digging in the sweet taste of the warm food ridding my cold body of the chill but not of the memory. As we finish the pizza leaving only 3 slices left a new set of lights were thrown across the room, Lights that I knew all too well from my years as a law breaking a child, the lights that spelled trouble. Her sweet voice pierces my thoughts saying.

“Don’t be alarmed dear, you’re not in trouble, they just wish to help…” She moves away from me to the doors and she gestures me to come with her. I follow her out the door the rain had given up in the time that we were inside but the darkness remained. Giant puddles of water cover the ground as I walk numbly along the path the shadows cast by the lights from the cop car sending eerie shadows over the lawn.  At the end of the path in his dark blue and white car, were the men I feared most. The large police officer stood as I approached and looked at me before asking me a series of questions. I told the truth about all of them but he never asked me about my home life before the occasion.  After he fished with his questioning he had me walk to my home he and the kind women followed after me.  With my heart in my throat, the police officer knocked and my parents came to the door. I could only just barely hear if I strained my ears but whatever she said the cop believed her over me and turned and walked past me and drove off after which my mother demanded I turn to the women and tell her it was all made up. That I had left them worried sick and ran away. I cried turning to her my depression evident as I spoke the lie to her the women horrified walked home leaving me with my mother and I never heard from the kind lady ever.. again….