Head up in the clouds

Alexia has always been a day dreamer, her head up in the clouds. From a little girl she was fascinated by them and wherever she went she would always find herself gazing up and watching the clouds float by, mesmerized by the wonder of them. From a young age she realized the enormity of what they represent and the amount of lives they affect daily. By spreading their precipitation far and wide, encouraging life in all plants, in turn supplying our air to breathe while also protecting us by providing us with much needed shade and cover on a hot sunny day.

Because of this love, this passion, she grew up and became a weather girl, enthusiastically announcing the weather forecasts big smile on her face and bounce in her steps. She was joyous no matter what the weather: grey cloudy skies did not fill her with doom and gloom. She knew without rainy days we could not be around to enjoy sunny ones or have her favorite phenomenon in the whole wide world – rainbows! As a toddler she always told her mummy `rainbow is my favorite color’ with a big beaming smile across her little face.  Her mummy used to think it was cute and didn’t have the heart to correct her. Now even as a grown up her outfits on and off screen always match her sunny disposition, consisting of the most vibrant of colors. She could magic a smile and positive vibes out of an empty paper bag. For this she was the viewers favorite. Her numbers tuning in were through the roof, from her first day they climbed fast and she has managed to maintain them for the decade she has been working there. Rival stations have tried to poach her for that very reason but she’s stayed loyal to the station closest to her home town. She’s stayed modest and kept her feet firmly planted to the ground despite her head always being in the clouds.

Her competing weatherman is the exact opposite to Alexia; Norman always has a face like thunder and a miserable persona like a wet weekend. He walks around as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders and a permanent black cloud above his head raining down on him. He lets the weather control his mood but even on sunny and clear sky days he would still find a negative spin to place on the day.

Alexia has spent the last few years hoping that her personality would rub off on his and lighten his mood. Be the calm in his storm, break the weather pattern but she knew she had her work cut out. Her cheeriness seemed to do nothing but annoy him. She had to break down his defenses get close enough to work out what was causing this raging inside of him, if she had any chance of changing his perspective to a brighter outlook. But this was easier said than done. While Alexia was the life and soul and enjoyed socializing, Norman always kept himself to himself. He would never go for a drink after work with the rest of the crew to the local bar next door. Whereas Alexia would be up on the dance floor before anyone else and not care if others were staring. She would have a long list of songs she was up for singing on the karaoke too. 

Norman to her has an air of mystery; she wants to uncover what makes him tick. For some unbeknownst reason she is drawn to him, even though she realizes being around him may dampen the mood for all involved. She has been looking for clues to soften his hardening exterior. Put the jigsaw together piece by piece. One evening after a fun few hours in the bar after work with her colleagues something tells Alexia to leave earlier than usual. And as she walks home she happens to see Norman emerge from an assisted living care home. Turns out his nana has dementia and he has been dealing with her slipping away through his fingers bit by bit as who she had been faded into nothingness. Alexia had crossed the street and Norman had broken down and told her everything. He had been brought up to believe men do not show emotion, that they exist to be towers of strength for the women in their lives. He had been bottling all this emotion for the past few years since her diagnosis but after a particularly bad episode tonight he could not physically hold it in anymore. Like a volcano it erupted out of him. He was like a totally different person, no longer angry with the world and all others in it. He had had to take care of his Nan all by himself; he was all she had left. From the minute she was diagnosed, his life had been halted and had taken a back seat. The unfairness of the last person he had left on this planet being stripped away from him in such a cruel way had hardened him. From that day on he had resented all others carrying on as normal with their everyday lives when his world was imploding.

As Norman broke down and cried, Alexia glanced up the clouds parted and let a single ray of sunshine shine down upon the pair. Alexia took this as a sign that she was meant to be there at that precise moment and that she was the one to help him and bring the light back into his very darkened world. `Thank you clouds’ she said inside her head `you haven’t ever steered me wrong. I’ve spent the whole of my life looking up at you, searching for guidance and you’ve always provided. I will take Norman in to my care and under my wing, give him the support he’s long been lacking. Show him he’s no longer alone in this.’ Norman dried his eyes and looked at her thanking her for listening and being there for him in his darkest hour. Alexia could see a spec of light return to his eyes and the dark cloud that had been above his head all these years, dissipated.