I Love the Rain

I remember it like it had been yesterday. My brother and sister were finally asleep and our whole neighborhood was silent save for the roaring thunderstorm bearing on the windows of the trailer.

I walked out of the bathroom and put the brown towel and clean clothes down on the chair by our front door and pulled my socks off of my feet. Taking my hair out of its ponytail, I let my natural curls scrape the fabric of my Grand Valley T-shirt. I then took off my glasses and unlocked the bolt to the door and carefully peeled it open. Stepping out onto the porch and closing the door behind me I stopped to look at the surrounding neighbors homes. After I was sure no one was as crazy as I was, I walked down the steps to the empty driveway picking up my pace as I went under the tree that blocked the path between the two.

Safely in the center of the concrete I spread my arms out and lifted my face to the sky. The rain came down in huge droplets that soaked my hair in no time and made my shorts and baggy t-shirt hang like weights on my body. My heartbeat began to speed up until I felt like the organ was just shy of bursting out of my chest, but still I stood there. I let my anxiety pick up at the thought of a lightning bolt striking down on me. I stood there despite how much the thunder shook the ground; I began to softly laugh to myself in spite of how loud the crack of lightning became when it touched Earth some however miles away from me. I jumped in my skin when the bright blue light shot up the sky and painted the ground around me, but I didn't leave.

After a while of my heart hammering in my chest and the lightning getting brighter by the second I finally had to look down. I couldn't believe that I was, quite literally, staring death in the face because I had nothing to protect me from a bolt crashing into my skull. I don't think I cared though, I couldn't have if I stayed.

Bringing my hands to my face I smiled and rubbed my chilled fingers all over my neck and up my chin. Gently tapping my cheeks to the rhythm of my heart and wiping the raindrops from my eyelashes only for more to make a home there. I started to laugh again when I felt the water around my toes gliding through each and every one. I had never felt so alive in my entire life!

I turned and looked at the telephone pole in my backyard and thought just for a moment that I shouldn't be outside. Another crack erupted the air around me and I looked back up to the sky, thanking God for allowing me to safely enjoy the thrill of being close to death and not having to worry about it. Looking at the grass in front of me I noticed our metal dog chain as it lie helplessly in the soil. I began to step forward when I realized the reality of the situation and thought better of it. Shaking my head I relished in the rain that was warm and cold all at once for just a few more minutes and walked back to the entrance.

Now inside, I stripped my wet clothes off and dried body quietly. Stepping into the fresh underwear and long sleeve shirt I put with the towel before I went outside I gathered just how much I loved the rain.