Rain Down (On Me)

Sometimes It Soft..

Why, in the year 2019, did society even bother with meteorologists at all, Chioma didn't know. They were overpaid and never offered any accurate data. Just a gathering of hypothesized maybes and "educated" guesses that left people buying more, or less, groceries than they actually needed. 

Chioma had checked Dark Sky as she walked towards her closet to get dressed that morning as she had every other. The weather app telling her to expect a maximum of 85 degrees, partly cloudy skies, and a "light scattering" of showers around seven pm that only had an eighteen percent chance of hitting her neck of the woods. So, she had dressed accordingly, happy to finally wear the pair of linen pants she'd purchased some time the month before.

And came home looking like a drowned cat.

The sky had darkened and cracked open like a messy egg just as she was leaving work. Catching her as soon as she'd stepped out of the building and winding her already slow and tedious commute down to a snail's race as fat, thick droplets pelted the expressway in sheets. And everyone's knowledge of how to operate a moving vehicle seemed to disappear at the same time.

"'Light showers' my ass. They should pay me to stand in front of a camera and lie to the entire town," Chioma glowered as she made her way to her ensuite. The articles of clothing that were acting as a second skin hit her marble tiled floors with a wet thwack as shivered her way out of them.

One long, nearly scalding shower later she felt more like herself and less like a water nymph in training. Her still-wet passion twists were piled atop her head in a messy bun, dripping onto her threadbare Metallica t-shirt and spraying water whenever she turned too quickly. Much to the annoyance of the Egyptian Mau perched on her shoulder like a statue.

"No one told you to sit there, Binx," Chioma snickered at his abrupt hiss before he finally jumped onto her granite countertop, marching away from her to lick at his wet, silver fur.

The main level of her home was starting to smell more like a bakery as her coffee pot gurgled loudly and spat the Dunkin Donuts liquid into the carafe beneath it. Chocolate glazed donut was her favorite flavor and it was just the pick-me-up that Chioma needed after the punishment mother nature had unjustly decided she deserved. A nameless and off-key tune pushed passed her glossy lips in a muted hum as she filled the two Disney mugs she'd set out. Adding a generous pour of almond milk creamer to Ariel and a splash of heavy cream to Mufasa, deciding to forgo any other sweetener completely in order to avoid arguments.

Binx weaved figure eights between her ankles as she slowly walked over to her front door, meowing disdainfully at not getting anything more than a few head pats since she'd gotten home. His human wasn't giving him the treatment he felt he was owed and he was making his argument mighty clear.

"You couldn't handle me flickin' you with my hair. Ain't no way you coming outside," she reminded him as she hip-checked the door open wider, the cool breeze welcoming and earthy. "Be back in a few with scritches, promise."

Outside, the rain had since died down from it's torrential downpour to a soft and quiet pitter-patter against the darkening streets of her neighborhood. Tranquil and alluring in its cadence. Chioma sighed dreamily, content as she sat down on the doorsill, putting the Mufasa mug between her parted knees and closed her eyes. Mist kissed the apples of her cheeks and the exposed skin of her forehead as it bounced off of the sides of her house, refreshing her skin and wrapping her in a calm embrace.

If she were being honest, she looked forward to nights like this. When the world seemed to slow to a near standstill and the water seemed to wash away the cares of everyone around. Her shoulders went slack as she raised her chin to the sky, deciding to put the busy and trying day she'd had behind her. For all the complaining she'd done about weather people, false forecasts, and ruined clothes she'd needed this. Had prayed to the universe silently for a quiet night. And it had answered in a way that it had known she would appreciate; even given the events it took to get her there. Now, there was only one more thing that could make this night perfect.