A rainy day

The rain was real, I had no umbrella, but ye, I love getting wet in rain. The sky was grey with clouds, and the petrichor brought nostalgia, I could feel every drop of water falling on my body and sliding down, slowly.

"Venti!!!" I knew the voice.

It was Tash, with an umbrella.

"Hey hey Tash!"

"Venti, ye come here, don't get cold again."

"Ye thanks, I see you got a very big umbrella."

"Yea, to help friends from getting cold."

"Ye, thanks, also ye, don't call me Venti, my current alias is Siva."

"You do have a lot of alias haha," another familiar voice.

"Sophie! Wow! Hi!" I got excited to see another close friend.

"Wow, hi Sophie! What a surprise!" Tash smiled.

"Ye, I recognised your umbrella Tash, and nice to see you both!"

As we were talking, The water from roof tops ran open into the street. Little kids with raincoat coming out of the school with parents, walking through the puddles on the road. The sound of water drops and the pattern of waves they formed when they hit the puddles were intricate.

So three of us were walking under the same umbrella, having a good talk, and Sophie wanted to get hot coffee, Hot coffee of Downspring is one of the remarkable things that makes this place what it is.

"It was such a pleasant surprise to see both of you at the same time," I said as I started to sip the hot coffee.

"Yea same, I came here for an evening walk, and it suddenly rained out of nowhere," Sophie said

"Yea, happy to see you too, and yea, weather is unpredictable," Tash said.

Downspring, such a beautiful place, I have a lot of friends here, Tash, Sophie, Serena, Lavender, Jooshy to name a few.

And the city always was a good home to me, and it still is.

I love it so much, drinking hot coffee in rain with friends, chilling by the lake, and driving through the clean streets at night, what's more lovely?

As we were talked, the rain began to slow down, and disappeared with the greetings from the sun.

"Aight," I said, "It was lovely talking with you both Tash and Sophie, but I need to go now, duty calls, see ya!"

"See ya Siva! Take care! Bye"

And so I left the cafe and made my way to Townsquare.

Townsquare, it's a grey building with a dark past with me.

I always hated the place, it's one of the reasons I wanted to leave the city, but I do have a lot of things I love here, and a lot of friends, was that one reason worth it? I really don't know, that's why I am always confused about leaving the city or not.

As I came close, my memories began to flash.

###

"Heya Jooshy!!!"

"Hey Venti!!! Down for a game?"

"Sure!!"

"Lemme try the four step check-mate hehe" I thought, but ye

Jooshy was too smart and easily blocked it haha. We were

seriously playing it, while the kids were running around.

Ten minutes passed, and Jooshy had the upper hand, I was thinking and thinking and suddenly one of the kids dashed upon our chess board BOOM!!!

The kid was short and smart looking. He stared at us with fear, until we both burst out laughing and he laughed with us too. "Be careful next time!" we smiled and told him to play with care. and he smiled back and went to play.

"So, it's a draw, hehe." I said.

"Fine Fine haha."

As we were talking we heard a huge noise. Townsquare was collapsing.

"Oh my god," Jooshy said, "Go get the kids!"

We both ran and took the kids in our hands and rushed to the stairs, the building was falling down, on us.

A huge part of the ceiling fell and blocked our way down.

"Quick! Go through the small opening kids!" I said.

We somehow managed to get two of them the other side safe, but more of the ceiling began to fall and closed the opening.

Me Jooshy and the smart looking kid were stuck.

"The building's gonna collapse completely anytime."

"What shall we do now?"

"Listen to me Jooshy, there is an emergency exit on the other side."

"But that way is blocked too."

"I can hold it for enough till-"

"No! I will hold it, your arms are already hurt."

"Ahh, but-"

"Trust me, I will take care."

"I trust you-"

And so, he lifted the rod blocking our way, it opened the way and we could see people rushing down the emergency exit.

"Fast!" Jooshy said, and I hurried with the child. It was so dusty all around us, in smoke of brown, I coughed all along, and I finally came out, and could see clearly, there were a lot of people going down through the emergency exit, I gave the kid to a lady there and rushed to go for Jooshy but as I turned the side, the floor began to fall, and the man standing next to me grabbed my hand," There's no going there,"

"But my friend- he's stuck there..."

"I am sorry, but there's nothing you can do about it now, let's just hope he survives," as he said he pulled me downstairs...

###

Townsquare three years after that incident, it's been rebuilt into something else, but it will never lose the smell of the lives it took away... I became empty as I passed through it... those thoughts which I tried to forget... all over me again...

As I continued my walk to my office, I saw the walls which we painted together, now it's lifeless... The roads we walked together, now I am walking alone... what the city took from me, I will hate it forever... the places we went together... now it feels lonely...

As I walked I tried to not see anything, the places around, and after a long walk, I reached my office, another grey building...

"Congrats Siva!!" Everyone started to cheer.

"Umm?Thanks?"

"You got promotion!"

"Holy stars," I thought, a promotion? ye, that's very unexpected.

"Your new office is in Gladz."

"Wha-?"

"You always wanted to leave this city, ye now's the time!"

Oh yea, I wanted to leave it so bad, the city, everything it took for me, my friend, my family, my... With all those memories everywhere, it's just so hard to stay here.

I walked out, into the modern art of tall buildings, towers, speedy cars, and the grey atmosphere...

I stood there, I was sure that would be the last time i would be seeing this, so I looked at them with open eyes after a long time, what a beautiful city, but at the same time, what a ugly city.

"Sir!" I heard a very familiar voice.

I looked back, and knew who it was.

It was Serena in her car.

"Serena!" I screamed in excitement.

"How are you dear sir?"

"Long time no see! and I am fine!"

"Ye, you do seem excited my egregious sir."

"Yes, madame," I showed her my promotion letter.

"Oh congrats! I am so happy for you!"

"Thank you! By the way when did you come here?"

"Oh yea, the job for which I went to Mauriseas is done, and so I am back ye."

"Oh, and I will be leaving soon ahh.. I really wish I spent more time with you."

"It's fine, you aren't just leaving this place forever, you will come back, right?"

"I don't think so..."

"Why?! You have a lot of friends here Venti."

"But a lot of haters too you know, and a lot of things that haunt me..."

"But, compared to the people that love you, they are so less."

"But - ye, never mind about it, how was your time in Mauriseas?"

We talked for like ten minutes and Serena got a call and I said goodbye, and I began thinking, what am I leaving behind here?

Not just bad memories and hatred... also the love, and the sweet memories.

I began walking again, to the places with all those memories, my friends ye, I do have misunderstandings with them, but in the end, we all get together, now I have to leave them.

I walked through the bell street, remembering every memory I had there with my friends, I cherished them, but now I have to go, right?

As I walked I met Lavender, the day was filled with surprises I couldn't believe, meeting all friends, and also a promotion, I began to wonder if it was a dream.

"Lav!" I waved!!

"Spects!" she waved and came walking fast towards me.

"How are you?"

"As usual, how about you borthah?"

"Oh yea, I am good, ye just confused sista."

"Oh, about what?"

And so I told her too, and she was so happy that I am getting a promotion, but at the same time, she became sad when I said I ain't coming back.

And if you are wondering, ye Spects,Siva, Venti they are all my names, I use a lot of names haha, that's why.

After talking with her, It was already late, and I thought of going home when suddenly it began to rain.

Yes, it rained again, and guess what, I had an umbrella this time yee!! I opened it and began walking, and I was going I noticed someone.

"Hey Tash!" I called

She was getting wet in rain as she was walking and when I called she looked back and said, "Hey Siva."

I quickly went to her and took her into my umbrella," Ye, don't get wet I said."

And then ye we began to talk, and about the promotion stuff, and she said, "Do what you are going to do Venti, I am going to be upset."

Well yea, she didn't tell me to stay back, nor go there, that was an indirect way of telling me to don't leave, her way, and as we walked I began remembering the old days.

"Tash you remember? Your discord username is rain, you love rain, I always wanted to ask why, but forgot, ye now I am asking, why do you love rain?"

"Ah well, rain is cool cause I wish it was my real name and also listening to music while it rains is superior thank you for coming to my ted talk. The end."

I laughed when she said ted talk, and then quickly hid it, "That's so cool, I do love rain too, it's just so beautiful like you."

Damn haha, I didn't know what to say so I said that, and ye she blushed, and soon her home came.

"Goodbye Siva!"

And so I started walking alone again, but ye, the rain was with me as a companion, the sound, the chillness the feeling of water splashing over your feet, it was just so lovely.

Me and Tash were good friends, but then ye we had a lot of misunderstandings too, and mostly it was my fault, but ye misunderstandings are common in friendship, right? But ye, not in this case, I go too much deep for small things, and try to avoid her for days, but ye, I couldn't avoid here, it's just impossible, I accept my defeat and apologise, and we became friends again.

All those silly things and fights, I thought, I would miss them all so much, but at the same time, the city will always haunt me whenever I go through those places... I was in a dilemma, and I walked through the park, suddenly I heard a sound.

I ran towards it, I knew what it was, and I was surprised with who I saw and I screamed as I saw the face, "JOOSHY!!!!!!"