The Thunder Sings

Rain

The heavens opened,  the downpour beat the asphalt with a rhythm all of its own.  It wasn't sad, it wasn't happy; it was simply loud rushing along the canals to get lost in the river below. The lightning cut through the sky angry,  upset, out for blood while the thunder added to the music a booming voice crackling through the sky,  shaking me to the core. 

On a normal night I would be scared,  I'd run inside seeking refuge from my mom,  but not tonight she wasn't here tonight, she'd never be there again so I sat on our small patch of lawn before the townhouse I'd known all my life,  allowing the rain to pour into me while mixing with my tears.  My sobs echoed in time with the thunder drowning them out. My heart was hurt,  and the healer wasn't here what was a momma's girl supposed to do?  I hadn't a clue... 

The storm got angrier.  The lightning threatens to strike some sense back into me and I welcomed it,  laying on the grass with my face upturned,  while the rain pelting me.  Then suddenly it stopped forcing me to open my eyes,  the rain was still pouring,  but someone took it upon themselves to shelter me.

Why'd that piss me off? 

I yelled and screamed,  but the kind stranger stood his ground with the umbrella shielding me from the onslaught of the rain.  When his legs got weak he sat with me,  shielding me still.  How dare he rob me from this moment,  from this pain,  from this memory?

The sun finally came out to play,  I walked away fuming robbed from the beautiful torture,  couldn't he understand that the walls of the house suffocates me when she's not there, when it rained that this was my saving grace.

I've seen him around,  and he smiles.  He's always smiling,  what the heck could be so good all the time? I still ignore him,  the best I could but he was everywhere...  At least I tried.

I'm not sure when it happened or what caused it,  but I started looking from him through the crowd,  I could smell him a mile away,  he smells like  rain, mingled with the hot dirt of summer.   I can't help but see him,  he's big and tall with a face that always has a smile,  and twinkling black eyes.  Oh yes and this just in, I've been thinking about him too much...

It's May 31, and the rain is coming down in buckets, I'm happy.  I'd dance in the rain if I wasn't crippled by the pain of missing her,  the thunder and I are a song,  we sing in harmony,  and I felt my heart crack just a little more,  and I think that this is it the pain will actually kill me.  But the rain is once again shielded by the beautiful stranger whose name I still don't know. 

"Keyla  why'd you do this?" He asks,  but I've got no words the thunder and I have hit the crescendo and I shatter into a million pieces and at last I can see her beautiful face.  This is all worth it,  mom,  I see her beautiful face.  I feel her warmth she's lifting me like she used to when I was but a child,  terrified of the storm.  "Mommy" I call her name while I cried the thunder leaving me to do a solo by myself. 

When I awake,  I'm in a foreign place.  A photo catches my eye,  of mom when I was a wee little girl holding a little boys hand looking as though she was teaching him to pray.  "Keyla,  your Auntie Pam wouldn't want you to do this" He whisper and I shiver realizing my clothes are gone, but more because of the exquisite torture at the sound of her name.  Where is the panic that is supposed to come now?  There was none. 

"I'm Walter,  I'm the one your mother saved,  it's time for me to save you" 
Our friendship blossomed beautifully,  and broke down all my walls.  He taught me to live again after her,  he reawakened me.  We never had to define what we were,  we became one body and soul. 

And in loving him,  I realized that he had apart of my mom stored inside him,  and he shared it with me like you would something special and delicate.  It wasn't so hard to speak of her anymore. 

It's August 12, and they will be a storm tonight,  he's picked me up.  We sit in his room,  me with my head listening to the steady rhythm of his heart it calms me,  and tonight I didn't have to join the thunder in song.  It didn't hurt so much,  and he kisses me sweetly, my toes curl... 

The thunder and lightning continue their duet without me,  taking vengeance by taking away the power.  That's when I heard it,  the rattling of the door,  I watched with dismay,  my eyes begging him to leave the door alone, let's go back to bed,  I plead.  He will not hear and I know that whatever is at the door will do us harm. 

The door opens and a beautiful woman stands there,  shivering.  He looks at her shocked,  then at me and I can see the turmoil the storm ragging in his eyes.  "Hey Baby,  sorry I never told you I was coming"

She sees me,  her smile brilliant and she hugs me like a lost friend.  "I'm Cindy,  Walter wife"

The world faded to black and I answered the call of the rain.  It embraced me like a long lost friend.  I found my spot on the grass,  tonight we didn't sing in harmony,  tonight I led the solo while the thunder played back up and finally,  the lightning came and my world went black...

~The End~

Thanks for reading,  I just can't sleep,  and she's not here...

-Aliecia