Scent of Raindrops

Scent of Raindrops Prologue niniamaria What an empty street it is today. I could hear the wind and I could feel it breeze through my skin. It might rain today, I overheard it on a radio at a shop I passed by. I don’t have an umbrella. I just have to walk faster to get home. I observe the sounds I hear as I step , feel my surroundings, and listen to everything I could hear just so I'd make sure I'm going on the right way. A few more steps and I’m almost at the pedestrian lane. A cold tiny drop of water fell into my skin. Oh no. The rain has started. Yet it’s just tiny drops. And it’s pleasant to smell. It's nothing unique yet it's something new everytime. It's a scent that I knew and the scent I'm still about to know. The scent of raindrops as it meets the ground always fills me with astonishment of how it smells so familiar yet new everytime. Water as it meets earth. Two different things that creates a great nostalgic fragrance. Yet I don’t know exactly what I’m longing for. I just know for sure, that the scent of raindrops is my favorite thing to ever exist. I’m on the side of the lane. All I have to do is to cross the street as the traffic sign goes green. I can’t figured. I usually just let people cross first and I’d follow to their footsteps. Yet there’s no one around. I guess, I have to wait till someone arrives. It’s cold. Despite of the freezing atmosphere, I feel serene yet empty. Minutes passed and the surroundings are still quiet, no one seems to be out in this cold. I took a deep sigh as I accepted that I am alone and have to wait for a little longer till someone arrives. All I need is to hear footsteps guiding my way for extra safety. As I was calmly observing the sounds that I’m hearing, I noticed a new unfamiliar scent coming from my left side. I don’t hear anyone at the moment. I also noticed that the raindrops stopped pouring on my skin. I gripped on my sling bag as I try to discover what I’m currently smelling. This scent is so unexplainably calming, I try not be to obvious that I am sniffing it. It could be a person’s perfume. But I really don’t feel anyone around. I could still hear soft raindrops yet I can no longer feel it on my skin. To my surprised, I heard someone sighed. ‘Hello? is anyone there?’ I suspiciously uttered. I heard the person clear his throat before saying a word. ‘Y-yes. I apologize, I didn’t said a word sooner.’ Oh..I wasn’t alone. ‘What’s that smell? Can you smell it too?’ I asked. ‘Oh, yeah. That’s the smell of raindrops as it slowly stops.’ He said. By his voice, I could tell he’s around my age or maybe a bit older. ‘Raindrops smells different as it stops?’ I had to make sure. ‘Yeah, I’m surprised you didn’t know.’ I literally didn’t know. I thought they only smell the moment they first meet the ground. I didn’t answered him. The silenced remained for a minute. I would like to ask him if he’d cross the pedestrian lane as well. But I don’t want people to figured I’m blind. I always wear my sunglasses to cover my disability, yet with this cold weather and a summer sunglasses, this person might have been thinking I’m crazy. But stay firm and focused Eliza, stay firm and focused! ‘It’s a go.’ The man said. I have to act like I know. ‘Yeah.’ I answered. ‘Well, I better get going. Goodbye sunglass lady’. Before I was able to react to what he referred me with, I had to walk behind him quickly before he gets to crossed the street before me. But sunglass lady?! I had to keep my pace slow and not be obvious that I’m trying to catch up to his footsteps. Slow steps with a little bit of rush is what I’m doing. Sunglass lady?! AS I successfully crossed the street, I immediately faced to the side where I’m heading. Yet, I paused for second to noticed if the man already went his way. I can hear tiny little sounds of breathing. I could tell he’s 5 feet away from me. After a few seconds, I noticed him walking away. I paused till I made sure he’s fully gone. As I was about to step, I noticed tiny raindrops on my skin again. I suddenly remember what the man told me. ‘Hmmm.. scent of ending raindrops…’ I whispered to myself. ‘That scent was beautiful.’ The scent of raindrops... niniamaria Scent of Raindrops