The first time I encountered the rain.

I'm half-asleep, but I can hear the sound of pouring rain hitting our roof, so I got up. I'm thrilled, to be honest. It hadn't rain for so long that plants started to wither, and people have begun to feel comfort by the heat of a sunny afternoon. Every time it rains, I feel dreamy. For me, it's an opportunity to rest, grab a coffee, think about the past, and contemplate when did our life first started going wrong. When I look back in life, there are some memories I'm glad I can still remember. Like when my Nanay (Grandmother) used to cook my favorite meals, or when we had to leave in the middle of a rainy night due to some family problems. I have a bunch of memories I can't forget, and I like it that way.

I still can't forget the first time I encountered the Rain. It sounds ironic, but the sky is crystal clear that day. On the first day in college, everyone's prepared except for me. I went there with only myself, notebooks, pens, and the determination to get my degree. If I only know it's going to rain, then I should've looked for a shed. I didn't find it beautiful or fascinating at first. I thought it would be there for 500 days, just like Summer. Almost every one of my classmates is fascinated by it, and I can understand them. Days have passed, and I pretty much went to school about every day witnessing the Rain. I hate getting rained on, so I kept my distance for several months, and I thought I'll never get accustomed to it so, I couldn't care less. Besides, I'm also out of its radius, and it's being observed by someone.

Time flies, and months after that, this Rain approached me, and it seems like it's going in my direction. I never thought something like this would happen, so I'm not prepared. There's one thing unique about this rain, it always finds me whenever I'm nowhere to be found. It's always there when I'm lost. It's making me laugh before I even know it myself, and I never in my life thought rainy days could be as fun and lovely as this. I got used to it, and it became a part of my daily life. I learned about this Rain even more, and not going to lie, it's the total opposite of what I thought. Somehow, I could say it came from a much harsher environment before coming here. I spent most of my time being with the Rain. Studying about its past, and how did it become like that. It's with me wherever I go, and my friends know about it too. I found comfort in the Rain. It made me feel safe and loved. I feel sorry for people who suffer every time it rains, but I can't help it.

We all have our rainy days, but mine ended so suddenly that I found myself in the center of a room filled with familiar faces, feeling lost, and got nowhere to go. The sun will shine no matter what, and I should've thought about it in the first place — before investing myself in this thing. It left me with nothing but a playlist that reminds me of those days, a picture, a bookmark, and memories that I thought would last forever. It stayed for a while to remind me that rain isn't supposed to last for too long as it can harm anyone. My river overflowed and flooded me with emotions. I felt really sorry as I took advantage of it and waited for it to pour and hug me. I spent days and nights waiting for that same rain to come back, but it never happened. It rained, but now, it's full of thunders, cold breeze, and misery. I know I did something wrong, but I couldn't say it. I hated it for disappearing like that, for making me feel like that, and I also hated myself for not thinking about its position.

I finally made peace with the rain. I'm not ashamed to say anything about it. I don't regret being with it, and I'm proud of myself for making it. Sometimes when it rains, I look at the sky and think about you from time to time. I'm curious what you're up to, if you're okay, or if there's something that's bothering you because I know how much trouble you went. I don't want you to experience something like that ever again.

It stopped raining, and the sun is up. I know you're present somewhere, doing something, or probably talking to someone. I just want to thank you for teaching me how to protect myself during my rainy days.

I learned that rainbows don't always come after the rain, and if it probably has a choice, the rain will not fall on people who'll be hurt afterward.