The Tale of the Untamed Rain

Chapter Two

I was awakened by the blinding rays of the sun peeking through my windows. The way the sun rises every morning is really beautiful. I love how he played his role very well. I may love the rain more, but I can't help but notice how important his role is in this world. How his golden rays gave warmth to the lonely people here on Earth. His presence filled the gaps between each blank chair and bed. An essential being in helping the seeds grow and be healthy. His symbolism, which always makes deep thinkers astonished, Astronomers tried to trace its hidden wonders, and existentialists always bring it up in every argument to denote existence. The brilliance of nature's work is truly amazing. My words are not enough to describe it.

I opened my windows, which gave the sun the freedom to enter my room. A small room filled with books on a shelf, with a small bed just big enough for me, a cabinet where I put my things, and a small table where I write my hidden thoughts. This room was enough for me. It gave me the freedom to be me, away from the judgmental eyes of a crowd.

I watched the busy street below. People are hustling and roaming, starting their day busy. I can smell different aromas while looking at them. The smell of new imported clothes and shoes, the smell of newspaper, the smell of freshly cooked bread, freshly cooked fried rice and eggs, and the smell of coffee.

I smile thinking of these things. I love these kinds of topics. It always gave me a wonderful feeling of positivity.

With a precious smile on my lips, I walked down our staircase, almost forgetting what happened yesterday. I wish I did. I wish I had.

As I was getting closer to the kitchen, where we always eat breakfast, I was wondering if I would confront my parents. Am I ready to face this problem? Am I ready to ask them what goes wrong? I was busy contemplating, having two opposing sides in my mind, until a voice called me, waking me up from my reverie.

"Madeleine, hurry up. You'll get late in your class." I scan her face. Her eyes are puffy, a sign that she cried. She covered it with her concealer, but I can still see it. Her warm and twinkling eyes are dim, and her face, which always lights up when she sees me, is in a shade of gray—a shade of forlornness. I tried to meet her gaze, but she avoided it; she knows that I can see within her. With her fidgety hands, she pretended to wipe the table, cleaning it more thoroughly, like it wasn't clean at all.

With her action, I had to make a decision. I'll pretend that everything is fine. I'll try to act like we're perfectly happy.

Our breakfast was strangely slow and long. It seemed that time was dragging its legs at a complete slow pace. My mother's dishes, which I always enjoyed, seem tasteless. Every time someone tries to break the silence, an awkward atmosphere will occur. My mother tried to act like her usual self, and my father tried to usually converse with her, but I could see in their eyes the avoidance and nervousness that were still around them. They tried to let me join, but my dull voice always stopped them from taking any action. My lack of enthusiasm definitely tells them that I know what's going on. They know that I knew that they were not their usual selves. I may not know the reason why, but I knew that our arrangement right now is definitely not good.

When I finished eating, I stood up and went to our bathroom to take a bath. I cried there as the water ran down my body. My heart is aching as I think of the good memories, we had with each other. In other circumstances, when I feel sad, I always think about the moments we had in the past, and after that, I'll be happy again. Right now, those techniques are not effective. It made me cry more, thinking how precious those moments are, but also envious of them because they stay in the past, feeling happy and not miserable like I feel right now.

As I ride on the bus going to school, the sun tries to give me warmth; he tries to console me, but I am not in the mood to appreciate it. I just feel hatred towards it as it shines on the busy street where I can see the smiles of parents and their children. It made me hate him because he openly showed how happy they are while I was in great misery.

I was so busy hating everything in my life that I didn't notice that someone sat beside me and put a headset on my left ear. I turn my head to the man in a bonnet. His face was familiar, and my heart recognized him. The man who told a tale yesterday I thought that I couldn't see him again. I thought that he'd just meet me in the rainy season.

Smiling brightly, he clicked the play button on his phone, and the music started to roll.

At first, I heard the melodic sound of a guitar as it strummed its cord; it was beautiful. I was getting into a trance and hooked on its majestic rhythm when the singer sang his first lyrics that made me laugh.

heart fluttering

tomato like cheeks

brain frozen

stomach clenching

I can't deny that the lyrics of the song were beautiful and poetic, and the instrumental was also great. The only backslide is that the voice of the singer did not do justice to the song's beautiful rhythm. It seems that the singer wasn't given the gift of a golden voice, which made me laugh hard.

The guy quickly turned off the music. I saw how his ears turned red, and he avoided my eyes. I gave him an accusing look.

"Don't tell me it's your voice?" I ask him with teasing eyes.

"A--abcourse not!" He quickly denied, stuttering.

I grin when I see how his hands are fidgety and his voice is stuttering.

"Then why are you stuttering?" I ask, teasing him more.

I watched how his face turned pale and his ears blushed more. I laugh harder than I suppose I should at how his confidence dissipated.

"I told you, it wasn't me!" He said, but his actions betrayed him.

"Sure," I said, not completely believing him.

Despite my teasing him, he did not remove his headset from my left ear and played another song. To my dismay, it wasn't his recorded voice. He picked a lovely song. A familiar song, my favorite song.

"You're a swiftie?" I asked. The excitement is visible in my voice.

"Yes, I am. Why? Are you Swiftie too?" he asked, a glint in his eyes.

"Yes, I am. I am Taylor Swift's number one fan. She's an icon!"

"Yes, she is. I love how she writes her songs. I love how she tells her stories through her music. Every line in her songs is wonderfully written. To me, she's the music goddess. Her songs are an enthralling combination of a symphony." He said, and I smiled. I was amazed at how he described his admiration for Taylor's songs. I think if he could only speak every adjective that describes how amazing Taylor Swift is, he would.

Taylor Swift is truly amazing. Every age and generation love her. She's a sensational icon. It's not only for her music that I admire her. I also love her for her sense of humor, her humbleness, and her love of cats.

"Did you watch her motivational speech at their graduation?" I asked, curious about his thoughts.

"I did. It made me admire her more. I love her wisdom; I really love how she gave advice to everyone. I laughed and cried of happiness. I had goosebumps in her speech. It made me proud," he said. His eyes were twinkling with admiration, which made me think of stars and galaxies. I thought stars were the only thing that could shine, but when I saw his eyes, it made me stop on my tracks and focus my eyes into their depth.

We were both young when I first saw you

I close my eyes and the flashback starts

I'm standin' there

On a balcony in summer air

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns

See you make your way through the crowd

And say, "Hello"

While these lyrics played, I imagined that I was Juliet, and he was Romeo. I was clad in a wonderful gown, a gown that I always see in fairytale stories and that the damsels in distress always wear. I imagine that on the balcony I saw Romeo. My own Romeo, with his twinkling eyes that gaze at me with admiration—he wears the prince's suit with his dashing smile. As he walked towards me, the world stopped, and all I could see was him. My prince, my knight in shining armor.

Little did I know

That you were Romeo, you were throwin' pebbles

And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"

In the next few lines of the song, I am transported into a new scene. My father was threatened by the love that he saw in our eyes. So, he angrily asked you to leave me alone.

And I was cryin' on the staircase

Beggin' you, "Please don't go, " and I said

Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone

I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess

It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"

The damsel in distress was now more distressed. I beg you to take me away with you. I beg you to run and escape from this wretched world. Just say yes, and we will hide together in a place where no one can get to us.

So I sneak out to the garden to see you

We keep quiet, 'cause we're dead if they knew

So close your eyes

Escape this town for a little while, oh oh

'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter

And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"

But you were everything to me

I was beggin' you, "Please don't go, " and I said

Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone

I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess

It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"

Romeo, save me, they're tryna tell me how to feel

This love is difficult, but it's real

Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess

It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"

Just say yes, baby, and we'll leave this town. I will be willing to leave this all behind just to be with you. I hope that you'll hide with me too. I was wondering if our love for each other is enough to surpass this. My father doesn't want you to be with me. The only thing that I can ever think of is escaping, but it seems that I am the only one who thinks of it. Will you want to give up on me, my Romeo?

Oh, oh

I got tired of waiting

Wonderin' if you were ever comin' around

My faith in you was fading

I was getting hopeless. Don't you want to leave with me? Don't you want to hide with me, my Romeo? Thinking that I'm alone in this fight makes my heart hurt. I'll surely break, and I'll surely not survive. Being with you is the only thing I can think about in my life. I will die if you leave me. You are the reason for my existence, and I wish you also felt what I'm feeling.

When I met you on the outskirts of town, and I said

Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone

I keep waiting for you, but you never come

Is this in my head? I don't know what to think

I'm getting lonely waiting for your presence. Waiting on you here in just a minute seems like a lifetime. There were raging thoughts in my head, dragging me down, making me hopeless, and making me taste the bitterness of this life. This hopelessness made me think that I was hallucinating. Am I in a great delusion? Is this reality?

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring

And said, "Marry me, Juliet

You'll never have to be alone

I love you and that's all I really know

I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress

It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"

Oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh, oh

'Cause we were both young when I first saw you

When I thought that you'd never come, you came to me with a ring in your hand. A promise of life and eternity with you. I love that you settled everything with my father first before asking me to marry you —to take your hands. Romeo, it made me love you more. It made me fall for you more. I was willing to escape with you, to run and hide with you, but I did not expect that you would bravely face my father and show your genuine love for me, which made him agree to be with you. With a wide smile, I said the three words that weigh more than anything.

"I love you, Romeo."

The reality slapped me hard. I wish I'd turn into a potato or a carrot out of embarrassment. How shameful I am to imagine I was Juliet when I am Madeleine. How shameful of me to blurt out loud the words that only belong to my imagination. And now, reality is charging me for what I did.

"What did you say?" he asked. I don't know if I'll be thankful that he didn't hear what I said. I don't know if he truly did not hear or if he pretended, he didn't. The latter will make me sad.

"It's nothing," I said, shaking my head. I won't tell him. It's nonsense.

He did not buy my reason. His eyebrows furrowed in complete curiosity. His eyes gazed at me, scanning my face, as if he could find the answers in my face. I held my breath when his face took a closer look at me. He looked straight into my eyes, and slowly, he pulled himself away from me.

"I'm really curious; what did you really just say?"

I raised my left brow, making an effort to be like an intimidating queen.

"I already said it was nothing. Why are you even curious?"

"I'm curious of you. I want to know all your thoughts. The fact that I did not hear what you just said made me more curious about it when you said it was nothing. You may be a stranger, but I wonder what you did to me that I can't stop myself getting involved in your life. I don't even know your name, but you already imprinted your existence on my being."