When It Rains I Remember

Beverly looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. 6:05 p.m. She still had one sketch left to finish. The tattoo shop was quiet now. Most of her customers had gone home. Outside, traffic lined slowly along the road. She bent over her drawing pad and continued working. A few seconds later, her phone rang. She smiled when she saw the caller. Amara. “Hello,” Beverly said as she answered. “Please tell me you’re already on your way home,” Amara said. Beverly laughed. “I wish.” “You are still at the shop?” “Yes.” Amara sighed. “You spend more time in that shop than in your own house.” “It’s called hard work.” “It’s called refusing to rest.” Beverly smiled. Amara always said the same thing. “How was your day?” Beverly asked. “Much better than yours. I’m already at home.” “Must be nice.” “It is.” Both of them laughed. Just then, thunder struck across the sky. Beverly turned toward the window. Dark clouds covered the sky. Drizzle of rain began to fall. “Looks like rain,” Beverly said. “Then leave now,” Amara replied immediately. “It’s already starting.” “You know what Lagos rain can do.” Beverly nodded. She knew. Sometimes a twenty-minute journey became two hours. “I’ll leave soon.” “You always say that.” “I mean it this time.” “Okay. Call me when you get home.” “I will.” After ending the call, Beverly put her phone down. The rain became heavier. Within minutes, water was hitting the glass windows loudly. She looked outside. People hurried along the street searching for shelter. A woman ran into a nearby supermarket. Two young men squeezed under a bus stop roof. Nobody wanted to be caught outside. Beverly decided to wait a little longer. There was no point driving in the middle of that. She gathered some papers from her desk and began arranging them. A few minutes later, the bell above the entrance door rang. Someone had entered. Beverly looked up. A man stood by the door. His dark shirt was wet from the rain. Water dripped from his hair onto the floor. “Sorry,” he said. “The rain got worse than I expected.” “It’s fine,” Beverly replied. The man stepped inside. For some reason, Beverly couldn’t stop looking at him. There was nothing unusual about him. But he felt familiar. Like someone she had met before. The stranger looked around the shop. A small smile met his face. “It looks exactly the same.” Beverly frowned. “Sorry?” The man’s smile disappeared. “Nothing.” He looked away. That was strange. Beverly continued watching him. The stranger walked toward one of the framed designs hanging on the wall. A butterfly. He stared at it for a few seconds. Then he smiled again. “You still kept this one.” Beverly straightened. “What do you mean I still keep this one?" The stranger froze. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. Then he shook his head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything.” Now Beverly was sure something was wrong. She put down the papers she was holding. “Have we met before?” The stranger looked at her. His expression became gentle immediately. “No.” The answer came quickly. Very quickly. Beverly noticed. “You seem very certain.” The stranger laughed softly. “I guess I do.” The rain continued falling outside. The sound filled the silence between them. Finally, Beverly folded her arms. “What’s your name?” The stranger looked at her for a moment before answering. “Daniel.” The name felt strange. Not strange in a bad way. Just familiar. Beverly couldn’t explain it. “I’m Beverly,” she said. Daniel smiled. “I know.” The words slipped out very naturally. Immediately, Daniel looked away. Beverly narrowed her eyes. “You know?” Daniel pointed toward the front window. “Your shop sign.” Beverly glanced outside. Her name was written there. Maybe he was right. Maybe. Still, something didn’t feel normal. Daniel’s eyes moved around the shop again. Then they landed on a framed photograph sitting on a shelf. The smile disappeared from his face. Beverly followed his gaze. It was an old picture of her and her grandmother. Daniel stared at it quietly. “You still keep that photo.” Beverly’s heart skipped. “What did you say?” Daniel looked back at her. Nothing. Just silence. “How do you know I’ve always kept it there?” Beverly asked. Daniel didn’t answer. "You need to give me an answer" He looked toward the rain outside. The rainfall was beginning to reduce. His shoulders scared. Like he was afraid of something or someone. Or running out of time. Beverly took a step forward. “Who are you?” Daniel looked at her. For a second, something painful crossed his face. Something she couldn’t understand. Then he asked quietly, “You really don’t remember me?” Beverly frowned. “Should I?” Daniel looked at her. The sadness in his eyes grew obvious. Finally, he shook his head. “That’s not good.” “Meaning?" Beverly asked immediately. But Daniel didn’t answer. Instead, he turned toward the door. “Wait,” Beverly said. Daniel stopped. “Who are you?” For a moment, she thought he would tell her. Instead, he smiled sadly. “I’ll see you again.” Then he opened the door and stepped into the rain. Beverly hurried after him. But by the time she reached the entrance, he was gone. Completely gone. The road outside was almost empty as if nobody ever came in her shop. There was nowhere he could have disappeared to so quickly. Yet Daniel was nowhere in sight. Beverly stood there staring into the rain. A strange feeling settled in her chest. And for the first time that evening, she knew one thing. That would not be the last time she saw him.