After the rain

Start again

  I saw the faint silhouettes of two people in the rain. They stood out in the fading background. They looked at each other, wanting to be understood by each other, and the world.

  I was seated at my desk, looking outside the tear-stained glass, into the heart and soul of the city. A million lights continued to shimmer and the voices kept reverberating, echoing the heartbeat of the people. The never-ceasing noises, the ever present silence which I sought to find was now disappearing.

  I know I've asked this question a thousand times, and when I die it would be a million. But I'll ask again, and I'll continue to seek the answer. After all, you will find whatever you seek, no matter your intentions.

  Now that I have lost my place. I must find it. This is what I seek with all of my heart.

  And I will find it.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

  Daniel.

  Daniel.

  Daniel. 

  Where are you? I hardly see you around anymore. 

  It continues to rain in the city, even though it's the dry season. 

  I think I know where you are, Daniel.

  You are slogging away in the sleepless nights that keep slipping through our fingers like sand. This is the cut the chemistry competition gave you, a scar to bear, a burden to carry. Yet you always did everything with a smile.

  Daniel was my idol. He was goals, in fact. Handsome, kind, and smart. Those were what drove girls to him like bees to pure honey. The rain went on, and because it never stopped, Daniel and I could not meet. 

  Something had changed, as though the elements of the world were in all the wrong proportions.

  He was sleeping in class. How odd. But he had to stay back in school for that chemistry competition, so I went home alone. 

  It was night time, and it was raining again. I sat by my window and looked into the soul of my city, that empty and hollow abyss I lived in, the atoms and molecules unseen floating around the air aimlessly. My notebook was open, my pen was resting on it. The pages were blotchless. The music continued to vibrate in the air.

  My peace was temporary, but that was it's beauty. If it was everywhere, then would I treasure it? If time had been on my side, I don't think I would've ever tasted the victory of being a top student.

  'Len! Len! I need you to buy something!' some insolent fool smashed my door and barged in.

  'What is it?'

  The cute little girl shoved her note right into my hands. Blushing, she left the room a second later, leaving the door wide open.

  The note wrote: Sanitary pad.

  This was a terrible responsibility entrusted to her poor elder brother.

  With an umbrella, I made my way to the nearest convenience store. The lady looked at me strangely. Her eyes seemed to ask, 'What are you?'

  Valid question, but I shan't answer that.

  Taking the shortcut home with a bag containing pads in my hand, I endured the never ceasing rain and that journey seemed to last forever, just like my life. But it did not.

  I saw a buff silhouette lurking in the distance. There was a thin gentleman on his shoulder. The dimly lit street lamps provided little shelter in the dirty streets of the city. For some reason, he recognized me in the faint light, and so he charged towards me.

  His facial features became clearer and clearer, but recognizing him was still a challenge. My first instinct was the run away, after all he was probably a gangster. But he caught up in the end.

  He wasn't even panting. I looked up and met his eyes. They were familiar. I knew who he was.

  'What do you want, Luke?'

  And why is Daniel lying motionless on your shoulder.

  'What have you done to him?' I raised my voice slightly, which I regretted after.

  He rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.

  'Your friend here was found at the bar,' Luke said casually, 'so much for being a good kid.'

  'Why would be do that? Why should I believe you?'

  'If I had beaten him up, did you think I would be carrying him on my back? He was already beaten up when I found him lying in a pile of trash at the bar! You're being illogical, maybe that's why you failed your test-'

  'Shut up.'

  Luke smirked. I wanted to punch him so badly but I didn't because Daniel would fall off.

  We stared hard at each other. This time though, it seemed like Luke had won.

  He broke the silence between us.

  'Well, since you're here, I don't need to find a hotel for this guy anymore. He's your responsibility now!'

  He dropped places Daniel's body on the floor, slouching on the streetlight. With that, he left us.

  At least he didn't beat me up. Poor Daniel.

  His face had a deep gash on the it. His arms were bruised badly, with that same gash as the one on his forehead. His wounds were not heavy enough for hospitalization, but they were bad enough to knock him out. 

  If I recall, Luke had a few minor bruises on his arm. I think it was he who stopped the fight.

  I picked up the fallen Daniel, out his arm around my shoulder and we trudged in, down the streets, into the heart of the endless city.

  Somehow, I arrived at my sanctuary. My parents' rooms were out of bounds though they were not around, so Daniel slept on my bed as I cleansed his wounds. He looked so peaceful, I wondered if he was dead.

  Was he?

  I placed my hand on his heart. It was still beating in his slumber. His lungs were still working, breathing. As long as he lived he would continue to work, because that's the essence of living, isn't it?

  At least he was alive. I'm glad he was and still is, alive.

  My moment was ruined by my sister.

  'Len, I need help with science!'

  Which science?

  'Look at this bio question, why do plants need carbon dioxide?'

  Your brother doesn't take biology, I was hoping you knew that but now you've disappointed me.

  'It's photosynthesis, some process-'

  'Ok thanks! I thought carbon dioxide only caused global warming and had no other function.'

  'That's not the entirety of the truth either, carb-'

  'Ok bye brother!'

  And there she left me. She didn't even notice the young gentleman sleeping so soundly under the dark, rainy sky. 

  There were two stars in our sky again. At the very least, there is someone watching over Daniel and he is under their protection for now. 

  The atmosphere has a small percentage of carbon dioxide and it helps to maintain the temperature of the earth. Sometimes, we tend to think that it's the villain, the cause of global warming but that's not entirely true.

  This is because we are the cause of it. The world, to be specific.

  Before long, Daniel was snoring. I laid down on my mattress beside the bed. His snore was the music that calmed my heart in the restless night.

  I finally slept.