Here’s the story I promised you

Hello everybody,

I promised that I’d post the short story that was inspired by a dream I had yesterday, well here it is. Feedback in either the comments section or via the How to contact me page is welcome.

 

A Magical Rain

I sat on my bed, wishing I could go back home to my beloved family. “Lord, take me home,” I prayed every night before falling into a restless sleep. Every morning I went to school,, but the routine seemed dull to me, until one day, everything changed.

When I awoke on that unusual morning, something felt very strange. I felt as though the world was a little off kilter. The air felt thick and heavy, like a fog had covered the land over night. I took a deep breath of the morning air as I walked to the dining room for breakfast. “It smells like rain,” I told my roommate Shelly Walters.

“Why do you say that Anna?”

“Take a Whiff. Don’t you smell it?”

“I don’t smell anything.” She took a deep breath, but her body didn’t tense up like mine did when I smelled the rain in the air.

“Oh Shelly, I wish you could smell it, this smells like a rain that I’ve never experienced before in my life. It smells like a magical rain.”

“Oh bosh! You’ve been reading too many ferry tales. You need to get ready for another boring day at school.” Shelly let go of my hand and ran off, leaving me to find my way with my cane. In that moment, I discovered why Shelly couldn’t sense things the way I did. I am totally blind, and she is partially sighted. In my experience, people who can see with their eyes, don’t focus on their other senses like I do, so I had to enjoy this unusual sensation on my own.

***

After breakfast, I went back to my dorm room to brush my teeth and get ready for another boring day at school, when I heard the first tiny drops of rain pitter-patter on the roof. “You’ll need your raincoats today girls, It’s about to storm,” Miss Barnes, our house mother called as I hoisted my backpack onto my back. All of a sudden, the rain began to drum on the roof like a band of soldiers marching off to war.

As the rain fell, a strange chill came over me. I dropped my bag onto my bed, grabbed my little umbrella, and headed out into the downpour. “Where are you going child?” Miss Barnes called as I opened the heavy door that led outside.

“I’m not sure, I just know that I need to go outside.” I ran out into the midst of the storm, heedless of the calls from Miss Barns and my fellow students. In the middle of the sidewalk leading away from the dorm, I stood rooted to the spot as the rain washed away my dread of the day ahead.

I closed my eyes, and the school disappeared altogether. I stood in the center of a beautiful meadow. The raindrops turned into beautiful haunting notes of a violin. An angelic voice sang out, “Come child! See the beauty from the mountain top. Come and be free-ee-ee-ee! Come to meeeeeee! and Darling we will beeeeee!”

Before she could finish the last phrase, the song faded away as I floated to the top of a mountain. The view was like nothing I had ever seen or experienced before. I held on tight to the umbrella, as the violins continued to play a melody that filled my soul with peace and gladness. Another voice whispered words of wisdom deep from within my heart. “See the world with your heart, not your eyes. Hear the music of the world around you. Smell the flowers and the heavenly aromas on the breeze. Taste a raindrop, feel the wind blowing through the trees. Touch the sky, and let the wings of your soul fly away, away, away!” The words drifted with the scenes as they faded from view. I found myself walking to school, with my pack on my back, my cane in my hand, and a song in my heart.

***

“Can anyone tell me what they have learned from this unusual storm this morning?” Ms. Smith asked as we filed into the classroom and took our seats..

“I have something I would like to share,” I replied after raising my hand.

“Yes Anna? What did you learn?”

“I learned a very valuable lesson in this magical rain. I learned that if we close our eyes and see with our hearts, a world of wisdom will be opened to us.” I heard several kids snicker in the back row.

“What do you mean, if we see with our hearts? I have a hard enough time seeing with my eyes,” Shelly scoffed.

“If you focus only on what you see with your eyes, you miss out on a lot of the blessings, sent down from heaven.”

“This is not a religion class Anna,” Miss Smith reminded me.

“I know, but there is a lot to be said when you open your heart and mind and truly listen to yourself and your surroundings.”

“Now that Anna has shared with us what she has learned, let’s do a little experiment, to see if we gain the same understanding that she did this morning.”

“How will we do that?” Myah asked.

“I will play a short piece of music. As I play this music, I want you all to close your eyes, open up your minds, your ears, and your hearts. After the music ends, I want you all to tell me what you felt, heard, and saw, in your mind’s eye, if you can.”

We all closed our eyes, as the music began to play. I was back on the mountain top in a flash, enjoying the view from above. As I watched the scene unfold before me, I heard one word whispered upon my heart. “Sing.”

I opened my mouth and began to sing the phrases I heard in the magic of the rain. “Come children. See the view from the mountain top. Come and be free-ee-ee-ee! Come with meeeeee! You and I will see-ee-ee-ee the world with our heart!”

As I floated back to the classroom, the room remained silent for several long moments. “Oh Anna, I’m so sorry for not believing you this morning.” Shelly said, as tears streamed down her face. I was looking for clouds, and I missed the magic that you were trying to show me. Now I see it all plain as day!”

“Class, for homework, I want you to write me a story based on what you experienced today. Keep the memory of today’s lesson deep within your hearts, children.” Ms. Smith dismissed us a couple of minutes before the bell rang for our next class.

The peace and tranquility I felt that morning has remained with me to this day. I will always close my eyes and remember the magic I found in a single drop of rain.