Shaira's Inbox

11- When the Rain Pours

The job was fine. Shaira feels like a machine that needs to function because that's how it is. Rain or shine, she had to go to the areas assigned to her for the regular meeting of clients. Some places were in the city, some were farther.

 If not for earning some money for her own and going to places she had never been, she feels like soon, she would quit the job. Anyway, travelling to places would somehow cure her wounded heart. Even if tavelling meant job without having much fun. At times it was stressful when clients could not give their payments and deposit slips on time.

Finally, it was time to go home. The rain suddenly poured as Gemma bid goodbye and rode on a cab with her boyfriend. Shaira was left alone in the dark. It was a long day indeed. They went to a mountainous area where prospect clients lived. They interviewed them as part of the client's investigation. As Gemma and Shaira went out to reach a ride, they were followed by a dog. It was a doberman that was accidentally freed from its rope. What to do but to run in the hills down the plains with carabao grass, muds, and a creek. It was after they crossed the creek that they felt safe.The dog's master reached it. They were wet with perspiration and with the water coming from the creek and the mud. 

"This is what it takes to be an account officer, huh?" Shaira managed to say after a deep sigh.

Gemma giggled as she was also catching her breath. "Will you still take the challenge?"

Shaira scowled for a very short while and said, "Of course! It was fun, isn't it?"

The girls laughed as they reached for a public vehicle towards the office.

In the darkness of the night, waiting for a cab for home, Shaira thought. "Would I be doing this till I grow old? How about summer? I would surely get darker skin. Ugh."

The rain poured again. There was nothing left but to get hold of her umbrella. She could imagine a scene in a book she had read. 

On a rainy night, a girl is walking alone far from the street lights,until a serial killer caught her helplessly.

Shaira felt goosebumps. Even when the rain and the wind blew, she decided to walk towards a nearby place where she could be easily seen--beside a street light. The water soaked her shoes and as she stepped, half of her left shoe's sole was detached. 

"Oh no!" Shaira panicked. "Not now, please..." She almost felt like crying. She imagined Nigel in this cold rainy night. She imagined him happily giving his girl a ride, a coat, an umbrella. And here she was, helpless, working hard from day to night just to forget him, in utter coldness and darkness. It was unfair. She reached a crossing where people were rushing home. The vehicles were also fast.

She stooped and told herself, "I'm such a wreck."

She was deep in her thoughts, wondering what to do. There was no public vehicle yet, so she let them all pass by as she stood straight along the street with her umbrella.Lights flickered on and off in the stillness of dark shadows walking, talking, running. Colors were also a silhouette of the green, red, blue neon lights and traffic lights. She did not notice that a motorcycle stopped near her and and a driver was searching for a temporary shade from the rain. 

"Hey!," Leonil called. But it seemed that Shaira could not hear him.

"Hey... Baby girl! Is that you?" He tapped Shaira's shoulders as he looked at her face. Her face was sullen. But she eventually lit up at the sight of him. Shaira was quick to change her facial expressions when in front of people and friends.

"Leonil!" She exclaimed. 

"It's a rainy night..." he sighed. He seemed tired too.

"Yeah...And a bit unfortunate. Look at my shoe..."She showed him her shoe's left sole, her face that of a child yearning for help. It was Shaira's way of starting a funny mode. She observed that Leonil was always fun- loving.