Autumn Rain
Uploaded by Ruolan Liu on Nov 08, 2001
I awoke to the soft trickling of water outside my window. It took me a moment to realize that it is raining again; the tranquil sound of water dripping from the birch was as sweet as the silver bells ringing at Christmas. It was only six in the morning, but more than willingly I got up, put on a robe and opened my window. Almost immediately, the chilling November wind gushed in engulfing me with its icy fingers. I shuddered, but made no attempt to close the window as my eyes slowly came into focus. It is still pre-dawn outside, and in the “first light” everything appeared to be transparently blue, as if a piece of beautiful stained glass had been put over my eyes. The late autumn rain fell endlessly in silky thin strands, sown together to make the most delicate curtain with red maple leaves embroided among the threads. The steady shower poured down every year around this time, as if it were trying to wash out all my memories. I took a deep breath, and as the scent of newly refreshed soil with the wilting leaves mixed in my lungs, I allowed the twirling autumn wind to lead me back to that same rainy morning, five years ago.
It was a common Saturday morning. The rain seeped steadily from the dark and depressing clouds hanging overhead from the pre-dawn sky. Most people were still asleep on this overshadowed morning, yet among the sea of darkness, I stood silently on my patio looking out to the obscurity beyond. This morning seemed to be filled with nothing but the weeping of rain and the sighs of wind. The sounds of water tapping gently on the roof and the swish of it running down the eves and fell to the darkness below was all one could hear. I extended my hand hesitantly out to touch the goddess’ tears, yet the chill of it on my fingertips froze the deepest muscle in my heart. The Autumn rain came stepping softly on the multi-colored leaves. Rushing them to depart the safety of the branches and soaking them in the cold fluid until they are devoid of any color, and of any lingering memories. Gradually, the sun rose beyond the penetrating clouds, luminating everything around me.Yet I recoiled away from it, hiding myself in the darkest corner of the patio, loathing the light...