The Rain

Autumnal rain made the rare traffic in a small village even more quiet - almost emptying the streets. There were no people on the sidewalks; only a few cars were driving through the puddles.

I was standing in front of the local school, by its main door under the wide roof. Maples, surrounding the square in front of the school, had turned from green to golden-red, fallen leaves had made the grass under the trees more colourful. Light breeze made the maples to wave slightly. Usually I didn't like autumns - falls made me sad -, but this autumn was unusual. This autumn was different.

From behind the corner of the school's workshop appeared a young woman, holding the umbrella over her head, and made her steps towards the school-building. She was walking carefully, trying not to step into any puddles that were spreading here and there on the sidewalk. She gave me a short glance and for a moment there was a swift smile on her lips.
I put on my glasses, then pushed my hands deep into my pockets to cool down the shiver of excitement. She was getting closer and closer.

Setting one foot in front of the other gracefully, she stepped up on the stairs. After she leant her umbrella against the wall, she edged a few steps nearer and stopped, looking me into the eyes.

"Hello!"

For years I hadn't heard her voice, years I hadn't seen her. But I had been thinking about her a lot and even imagined our next meeting. And now it was happening and thank for a little help I had got from my younger brother, at least it seemed to have started the way I had hoped. Even the rain appeared to be a present from the gods.

She looked at me questioningly. She had changed. She seemed to be older, more mature, even more beautiful as I could recall.

And I remembered her well. She was my first and only true love; when I needed to understand her - only a short glance at her eyes was enough; she was my only soul-mate.

"Why did you call me?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "To see you, to talk." Years ago it was our main meeting place on these stairs.

She looked me suspiciously. "Why?..."

"We haven't seen each other for a long time. I was..." I hesitated for a moment. "Away. Most of the people I used to know, most of my friends have disappeared somewhere, or they do not notice me anymore. I guessed... I thought that at least with
you I can speak again."

She was staring at me calmly. Somehow I compared that look with the one people use to look at the mentally unbalanced. "More than seven years has passed since we last saw each other. Even more time since we could talk normally. And now you're just reappearing from only god knows where, and you expect everything to continue."

"I hope."

"I have changed," she said quietly and lighted a cigarette.

"I know." One of my eyebrows has risen, seeing her smoking.

She shook her head. "No, you don't. I have changed, I have my own life you know nothing about, and where you can fit in no more."

"Why?" I was surprised. "That, that I... That I was away, doesn't mean that I have changed horribly. I haven't." We were staring at each other for long moments, without words. "I remained the same person I had been. The one I had been. The one you had trusted, the one you had loved."

She lowered her eyes. "Exactly. You are the same you were then, seven years ago. You have your own world," she answered after a little silence.

I smiled - I found hope in her words. "Yet you loved being there. You have told me this."

"True. But while you were gone, I stayed to live there. Time has gone by." Suddenly there were tears in her eyes. "I am so, so desperately sorry - you can't even imagine, how much I am – but this same period of time has given you a chance to stay in your amazing, beautiful world. But these seven years have taken you away from our common world, seven years are between us now."

She took her umbrella and - without rising the cover against the rain - walked down the stairs. She went back on the same way she had approached, but she missed the puddles no more.

There was still rain in our worlds, still, small-dropped and cold autumn rain.

But that rain was so different for us...