Umbrella.
It’s one of those days again. I’m squirming underneath my warm blanket with a hot cup of cocoa on my hand while listening to the rhythm of the heavy rain drops outside the windows. It seems to be in sync with my heart beat as I shut my eyes and the waves of the old scenes that I once witnessed starting rushing back ferociously.
She was always there, standing on that corner of the street with an open umbrella, watching people around her running for shelter.
She once found you at that corner of the street. she still vaguely remember that it was drizzling. You have no shelter and you asked her if you could take shelter with her. That moment was so intense that I thought I could see sunshine and rainbow above her head even though is raining. Ever since that day, she never left, in case you can find her when you decided that you want to take shelter with her again.
But all she see is you were busying taking shelter from others. Of course, you changed shelter every now and then. Ironically, she was happy when you were under shelter with the same umbrella for a long time because that means you won’t get drenched.You passed her by so many times, occasionally you would turn and look at her. But not for long, then you decided to seek shelter elsewhere.
She always thought maybe her shelter ain’t good enough. So she’ve been changing better umbrellas every now and then. Hoping that someday, it will be good enough for you.
She still reserved hers for you. Others tried to get in, but her umbrella just automatically close when they tried. But she’s getting tired. she too want to have someone to take shelter with her so that the person can hold the umbrella for her. She’s tired of holding it alone.
Recently, you are alone again, out there, soaking in the rain, she wanted to yell for you but she can’t because she’s afraid. Afraid that you would see her vulnerability. Afraid that you never really wanted to be in the same shelter as she does. So she just stand there silently, with her open umbrella, hoping that someday you will understand.
The part when she said she wanted to scream out everytime you passed her by was the most unforgettable, “So tell me, will you for once, stop by, look at me, realize that I’m your shelter and then help me hold the umbrella?”
Last I remembered, she was still there. Alone with her open umbrella.
