It Rained On Monday

It Rained on Monday | i

Monday, the 26th of March

It rained on Monday.

Ila didn't like the rain.

Ila didn't like Mondays.

•••

It was a... mediocre day to start a new job. It was wet, for sure, but it was Dublin... could you expect much else?

Ila woke up on her alarm, punctual as ever. Early bird by nature. For sure, Definitely. Maybe. Errrrrrrrrr... no.

Ila woke up at seven thirty when her bright yellow old-fashioned alarm clock went off, and, like the idiot she was fell back to sleep for another half hour. Then at eight o'clock, she woke up. Ila swore loudly when she picked up her phone to see that it was eight o'clock. Her alarm clock read seven o'clock. She facepalmed, literally.

Ila hated daylight savings.

Ila swung out of bed into her wheelchair grudgingly. She slipped her glasses on. The classes were roundish, and sort of childish, but Ila had pretty much detested the rest of the glasses in the shop. And she couldn't see that well without them.

She had a shower to wake herself up, and put on some light makeup. She plaited her long auburn hair down her back. It came down to nearly her waist. I

Ila hadn't cut her hair for four years now. She had a... weird fear... of hairdressers. It was a long story... long long story. And, Ila couldn't be bothered to cut her own hair or get someone else to do it for her. The result was a long, often messy tangle of, thick red hair.

She started to get dressed, then hurried when she noticed the time. It was nearly 8:30, she started the new job at nine. Her brother had taken the car to get to university already. Ila would give her (sarcastic) thanks to him or not waking her up later.

Ila dressed in some blue jeans, and the long sleeved white shirt with her name above the little pocket. Over the top of that she slipped on the warmest and most waterproof coat she could find.

•••

Forgetting about breakfast, she rushed out the door, needing to move to get to the train station in time to get the train after the train after the train she was supposed to be getting in the first place. Ila slipped a backpack on her back, with a hurriedly thrown together sandwich inside it.

She wheeled herself outside to be greeted with a semi-torrential downpour of rain. Not an exaggeration. Well... maybe a little bit... Well, you get the idea.

Her socks and legs were already soaked, and Ila hadn't yet gone out of the gate. She pulled down her hood over her face, trying to see in the rain. Her brother had taken the only umbrella in the house. She made a mental note to purchase one later. Her glasses fogged up a little in the rain, and she hurried to wipe them.

•••

Ila liked Dublin. She had grown up here her whole life. She liked her small suburban town just on the outskirts of the city, that never seemed to change. She knew all of her neighbours and was on first-name terms with everyone except Mrs Lewis, the oldish, slightly odd woman seven houses down. So it came as a slight surprise when Ila noticed something else walking down the street with an umbrella.

•••

She continued down the street, her hood over her face, not minding the strange person across the road. They had the right idea though... An umbrella would at least keep a bit of rain off her face.

The person was about five metres ahead of Ila. The person's hair was tied up in a messy bun, and they wore a long dress under their coat. They looked like a girl, but Ila always felt more comfortable not assuming genders. Her brother was trans, so...