Who Is Hiding in the Rain?

By Andrew N.

It’s a cool summer’s evening with rain falling from above. As I am walking through the forest in my bright yellow raincoat, I notice the rain does not fall evenly. I hear the steady drum of rain overhead, the ticking of rain as it strikes the trees, the howl of rain weaving through the woods. As I walk, I notice the rain close to earth is almost silent. I come across a small village of moss sowed in the trees. As I move to take a closer look, I notice the movement of rain drops through the moss is like speeding down a slide. It hits with a woosh and slides like a ball down a hill until poof… it disappears. Venturing ahead, I notice a river. The water racing through it like a car crossing the finish line. The land is nestled up next to it cheering it on. They go as one like they were meant to be together. I close my eyes to bring it all in but am quickly awakened to the trickle of water falling down my neck. That’s when I noticed… Are raindrops different?

Can raindrops really be different? Everything seems so perfect and simple; how can they be different? I look down, I am now in my lab coat and boots. I must investigate. Perhaps the different warmer temperatures make the drops smaller? Maybe the different leaves absorb more water so as they fall, the drops will be different? Could it possibly be an illusion like how a full moon looks bigger at the horizon. Sitting here thinking, I start to feel bitter. I must head for home where I can sit by the fire and delight myself in a cup of hot cocoa. But wait, I have not yet found my answer about rain drops. I must continue to search, but first I must find shelter. I am too cold to continue being in the rain.

As I search, I stumble upon a cabin. A real-life cabin in the woods, I have only read about experiences like these. I am quick to explore and find that it is mangled and consumed by the vegetation of the forest. Its vines intertwined with the cracked walls like a snake coiled around its prey. The trees bursting through the roof like a rocket leaving for space. As I gaze into the complexity of the forest, I realize, this is the place I must be to find the answers to my question. I walk in and see a bench still sitting beneath a patch of roof that has survived the overtaking of the forest. I sit, thinking about the passing of time. If there is meaning in the past and in the imagined future, it is captured in the moment. When you have all the time in the world, you can spend it, not on going somewhere, but on being where you are. So, I stretch out, close my eyes, and listen to the rain. A few moments later, I hear a noise. I am quick to open my eyes to see a frog leaping amongst the vines. Oh, how peaceful it must be to spring across the land taking in all of nature’s wonders. I notice myself becoming hungry, so I set out towards home. On my journey, I find a fallen tree with many leaves, perfect for testing my experiment. I hurry over and grab two leaves. These two leaves are different in color and thickness and two different water droplets form. With a smile, I yell, “AHA!” I have figured it out, raindrops are different depending on the relationship between water and plant! If there is one thing I have learned from being in the woods, it is that nothing is random, everything has purpose and meaning. Just as life amongst humans is.

I head towards home, with these new realizations. I feel satisfied. All my work here in the forest has paid off and I am on my way to becoming a real scientist. With that in mind, I stop to take in the sounds of the rain one more time. The swoosh of the rain is heard from above, the rush of the river ahead, the pitter patter of the rain hitting the trees around me. I feel joy in listening to the sounds of the rain. I have made my way inside, now dry, and warm, I lay in my bed, thinking about the disappearing of time. The wonders of the rain and the forest engulfing my world and stealing my time. I know it was worth it, I made so many discoveries and had so much fun that I would do it all over again tomorrow. And as quickly as I am thinking…. Crack…. A loud blast of thunder wakes me from my sleep. I am now awake and know what I must do in the morning.