The Rain

The rain, gently pouring; children on the street frolicking under its soothing coolness.
I’m watching by my window as the swollen creek carries debris of green and brown; Young coconuts plucked forcefully by the wind; fronds browned by the sun all scurrying with a rush…. rush….rush…. hurry ….. hurry kind of way, bobbing up and down along the floody banks.

The rain, flowing on my sweaty face washing off the perspired salt – a gift from the tropic sun shining intensely  a while ago.  I taste the sweat flavored rain, it is cool and  tasty too.  It is well that the Palay had not been spread to dry this day.  It would have been a rush….rush…. rush…hurry….hurry…. hurry kind of event; and there are no clothes hanging in the clothes line which would make another rush…. rush….rush…. hurry…..hurry…. hurry…..to save the dry clothes from the rain.

The rain making the males of the family come home early from their labor,  I’m so happy upon seeing them all.  This is a very special event, all the family members gathering together in this early afternoon!  There is no rush….. rush…..rush…. hurry….hurry….. hurry,  for the rain stops our work today.

The rain subsides and the flood settles down in the rice fields nearby; the Carabaos are safe from the flood;  the chickens lazily comes out of their hiding place; my sister and I are talking about picking fallen Pili nuts off the ground, oh joy!  Let’s rush….rush….rush….and let’s hurry….hurry…..hurry….. to the Pili Nut tree!

The rain, bringing two young sisters to the flooded river where my little creek flows, having the same thinking as mine and my sister’s, never thinking of the impending danger, innocent babes – thinking only of food to be had – the black shiny Pili Nuts! They say to each other, “oh let’s rush……rush……rush…..hurry……hurry…..hurry  to swim accross the river to the Pili Nut tree!

The rain, making my brother go toward the roaring river, searching for our Carabao which he turned loose during the rain so by this gesture, it can escape the raging flood.  He hears the faint sound of someone drowning in the fast current of the river.  Rush…..rush…. rush…. hurry……hurry….. hurry, he hears his heartbeat pleading…

He sees the girl bob up and down on the surface of the river.  Once or twice he hears her moan gasping for air,  her eyes forlorn;  he grasps his bolo and quickly cut the nearest plant which is bamboo, and quickly extend it to the hands of the drowning girl!  Rush… rush….rush …..hurry…..hurry….hurry, his heart continues pleading….

My brother drags her to safety using that bamboo pole! But Alas, the younger of the sisters, who is my classmate at school, she disappears under water, not a cry was heard from her!  All the Barrio people came to search the river thoroughly.  It was only  after several hours, they found her stuck under a tree!  All attempts to revive her failed for  she has gone away!

Rush…..rush…..rush….hurry….. hurry…..hurry,  the swooshing flood still say, when every passing storm sends rain and flood the river to this day!