Rain

• Rovinya Mendis, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2022

It was one of those rare days. The days the water was plentiful. A long awaited break from the relentless sunshine.The rain relieved us. Drops fell like glass beads from the grey, sullen sky. Flooding little crevices in the yard and the many potholes and cracks in the road. The children danced freely on the street as if a great burden had been lifted from their backs. Buckets and bowls lined the streets like decorations collecting water for stores. The plants lifted their dreary heads to the sky as if to thank the sky above for this blessing. The city sighed with relief as the rain nourished the baked earth. For here, on our new earth, it rains only 5 days a year.

I looked to the sky. The clouds were dark as blueberries and quickly scurrying over our city. They bucketed our rare lifeline down in a well needed deluge. Our two suns were barely visible through the lavish clouds. But we knew, this reverence wouldn't last long. The arrogant suns would easily evaporate this essential downpour. We knew that the rain wouldn't come for a good 3 months. Droughts would be deadly. The longest drought lasted for 8 months. Many people died and hundreds more severely dehydrated. The only fluid to drink was SynTer. A fake, ill tasting fluid said to provide all nutrients plus more than water has. Even more people got ill drinking that. Our crops failed and foul Lab food was most reliant. It was hell.