I caught the scent of rain as it started to descend from the unpromising sky above. Each droplet of it was so miniscule I had to focus hard to see it falling to the ground. I stepped out of my house and felt the refreshing drops fall gently onto my skin. A light breeze delicately kissed my face as I watched the trees across the street rock to and fro, as if lazily trying to avoid the raindrops. Looking to my left, I saw two other people sauntering contentedly down the street. As they walked past, they said a friendly hello, and I, in turn, offered an affable greeting. I felt myself rejoice at having been acknowledged by another human being outside of my home for the first time in weeks. I ambled down to the end of my drive with a slight spring in my step, my sleepy spirit enlivened by the irregular sounds of birds conversing; their tender tones dancing in my ears. The clear crystals that fell effortlessly from the sky and the altogether peaceful but lively atmosphere overwhelmed and excited me.
As I stood on the pavement, I couldn’t help but dip my shoe in a puddle I’d noticed at my feet, sending tiny ripples through it as I did so. Eager to see how deep it was, I purposely plunged my whole shoe in the puddle and felt exhilarated as the icy water seeped through my shoe and crept over my toes. This kind of infantile giddiness startled me. Weeks of staying at home had left me apathetic, lacklustre and miserable. I yearned for a chance to escape the bleak and dreary walls of the bedroom I’d come to know so well. Too well. The dark grey furniture which I had once adored seemed unexciting, tiresome and all too familiar. My bedroom had taken on the role of a jailor, confining me and restraining me. What was once my grand chamber, a room to be proud of, had become microscopic and a taker of my liberty. Each night I had sat glued to the news channels on my computer screen, hoping for an announcement to end my suffering. It came. I was overcome with joy. I could now leave my home.
The people walking on the same path as me put up their umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain which now fell in larger drops than before. The many birds still in the trees lining the path flew swiftly into nearby bushes to escape the rainfall. I casually put my hood up (more out of habit than need) and walked on, continuing to devour every aspect of my stroll.
As I crossed the bridge only a few minutes away from my house, the rain stopped and I looked down to see the railway station beneath me. Roughly ten people- standing at a distance from one another- were waiting for a train. I presumed they were going to work from the way in which they were dressed; formal, neat and tidy with no discernible differences. Despite the current situation, the commuters seemed to act as if it was a normal day; some were checking their watches, others were mindlessly tapping at the screens on their phones. Seeing this level of normality made me start to cry, “we must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.” Yes, hope. Tears of hope. These tears were definitely worth shedding.
The rain started again at this moment, thick and heavy. The sort of rain that washes everything anew, accompanied by the soft whisper of wind and the rhythmic swaying of trees. As I dried my eyes I could hear them murmuring, “it will all blow over, it will all blow over.”