Raining

I shrugged and saw the creases near my elbows, by the windowsill which I slept on for too long. Looking out of the window, I had never been this idle. Even that drenched bird sitting on the loose wire, shaking the water off its furs seemed like it was doing something magical.

I woke up, looking around for my glasses that I never remembered putting away before I dozed off. Mom always takes it off while I am fast asleep. Why do you never take them off? I could never answer this question. As if I always decided upon a time, and could sleep at command. If I could, maybe I’d go into hibernation. I read that bears did that too, why did humans ever evolve?

My table was messed up. Even though there were not hardly many things which you couldn’t count on your fingers. The book I read the night before, was still lying rolled up under my pillow. The Time Traveler’s Wife. Somehow, I found the idea of the chrono-genes a little weird. I hated myself a little, for maybe I was growing up. To me, a grown up was meant to let go of all the weird and amazing ideas, and be intelligent. I could never be intelligent, I didn’t want to.

“Why don’t you go out and play a little?”

I jumped and turned around so quick, it hurt my neck.

“Mom, we talked about it. Knocks?”

“I don’t have to knock on the door to come in and love my son.” She wrapped me in her arms. I felt her warm cardigan roll me up like a blanket. Had I not just awoke moments ago, I’d have considered closing my eyes again, sleeping by the window. My thoughts wandered to the bears I read about. If they slept for so long, did they dream? I wonder if their dreams were the same as ours.

Just as I rejected that absurd idea, mom pushed away the window-glass and a cold gush of wind blew my eyes open.

“Don’t be a sloth.”

“But I wish to be a bear.”

“Young kids like you play with their friends. Don’t be a Rapunzel locked up in your tower. Even she wanted to see the lanterns.” She let go of me, and handed over my glasses she kept neatly on the shelf by my table.

As I heard the door close behind her, I took a sigh and glanced at the world outside. I looked up at the ceiling of my room, there was no painting, like the one Rapunzel saw. I didn’t wish to see lanterns either. Don’t know if it was wind that caught me, I looked out of the window. And I saw him for the first time.

On the street, he was jumping on water puddle, splashing the water, that had filled up like a little pool. I couldn’t make out the lyrics, but his humming reached me. What an idiot! I felt myself saying immediately. Who embarrassing it would be to dance in the middle of the street. Everyone could watch you. He looked my age, grown up enough to have a little sense.

As I thought about all these things, I looked at him. He was weird. His eyes were closed and lost in his own world. I bet he felt what Rapunzel had felt when she went out for the first time and ran on the grass, touching the water flowing in the river. I laughed at the thought. It was obvious he didn’t care if anyone looked. Maybe he just wished to play in the rain and dance.

I folded my hands on the windowsill again, looking at him.

I wanted to play, too. 

Weathering With You, Movie (Image Source)