The Rains Novels & Stories

anito bago pumasok sa isang pinto na sa pagkakatanda niya ay wala roon noon. That’s probably now the bathroom, she quietly told herself. Once alone, she anxiously watched the heavy downpour outside through the closed windows. It looks like a storm was brewing. Kung sabagay, for the last few days that they were there vacationing, ni minsan hindi nagmintis sa pag-ulan tuwing hapon. At tumitigil lang iyon pagkatapos ng ilang oras, sakto sa paglabas ng buwan sa langit. But the rain that afternoon was different. Masipag iyon sa pagbagsak at tila walang planong tumigil. At kahit na anong gawin niya, hindi niya mapigilan ang mag-alala. Idagdag pa, na dahil sa lakas ng buhos ng ulan, dumili na ang

Ang hanging pang-gabi ang bumalot sa’kin, parang alam ang sitwasyon ko at pilit na pinapagaan ang damdamin. That night, the sky wasn’t wonderful. It’s a bit gray and dark. Like the colors of sorrow and pain. The moon was covered by the thick clouds and after some moment of thundering, the heavy rain poured endlessly. It was as if they knew what I’m going through. Na alam nila ang sitwasyon ko kaya pati sila ay nakikiramay.

So this might just be a sign to let the kitty out of the bag. Groggily getting out of bed, I rub the crust from my eyes and stretch. Grabbing a t-shirt and jeans from my closet, I set them down on the bed and hop in the shower. Turning on the faucet, I let the water comb through my hair and coat my body with warm water. Once my loofah is covered in soap suds and body wash, I glide it over my body. I find myself thinking about Marcellius and the way he looked at me. It made butterflies form in my stomach and my heart raced.

I watch how rain falls at ramdam kong ganon din ang ginawa niya, kaya muli na namang nabalot kami ng katahimikan. Ano naman kasi ang dapat na isagot pagkatapos niyang sabihing marupok siya? Na marupok din ako? Psh. "Babe?" tawag niya Napatingin ako sa kanya at nakitang pinagmamasdan niya pa din ang ulan. "Hmm?" "Did you know why rain falls?" Napaisip naman ako sa tanong niya at inalalang mabuti ang pinag-aralan namin dati sa science. "Because clouds can no longer handle the weight?" patanong kong sagot.

All I have are guesses, and each one slides away when I try to hold it. Bumuhos ang malakas ng ulan sa kalagitnaan ng pagmamaneho ko. Rain always seems to match my mood — loud, relentless, blurring the world until edges disappear. The rain was pouring so hard that I could hear it dropping in the car. I started playing the car radio and it said that there will be a heavy rainy season that will last for a week. I sighed and watched the sky with the strong thunderstorm. Watching weather feels safer than watching people; storms are honest about their power. I looked at my phone and saw that Kaila was calling me.

"Do you remember rain?" Nanigas si Yuhei. Walang gumalaw. Walang huminga. Parang biglang lumamig ang buong silid. "Ano?" Mahina ang boses niya. "Rain." Ulit ni Elijah. "Strong rain. A warehouse. A flashlight." Biglang sumakit ang ulo ni Yuhei. Napaatras siya. Mga imahe. Mabilis. Magulo. Ulan. Usok. Sigawan.

-CALI'S POV- -DAYNE'S POV- It was raining. Iniisip ko kung nakauwi na ba si Cali. Mag-isa rin ba siya at nilalamig katulad ko? Nababasa rin ba siya ng malakas na ulan ngayong gabi? "Kuya!"