Sam was now sitting in a brown bench placing his one hand in the black and slim looking armrest which had a curvy design. He looking at the views around him with a pleasant smile on his face.
He eyes were darting around two children playing with mud. They were building different kinds of structure using mud. The boy was bringing water in his cupped hands to moisturize the soil which and then using the now watery mud to make different things.
The boy after some hard work finished his work and showed it to the girl. He had made an elephant or so Sam and the girl had thought. But apparently, he had made a dog. But because of his sloppy work it looked like an elephant.
The girl cackled as she was not able to hold her laughter. The boy's face started turning red probably because of the embarrassment. He then threw that dog figure he had made and started working on another one. Determination was clear on his face.
Sam was chuckling from afar watching the events unfold.
Whack.
Suddenly someone whacked him on his head from behind.
"Ouch"
"Was that too powerful? Sorry."
"That seriously hurt, you know. Just show some consideration to your childhood friend and stop hitting me on my head every time."
He was rubbing the back of his head with his hands. The whack was quite powerful.
"I will think about it."
Saying that Rita, sat down beside him on the bench and handed a small shopping bag.
He accepted it and looked inside the shopping bag.
"Burger, again?" Irritation was clear on his face.
Whack.
He received another hit on his head. This time it wasn't as powerful as before but it still hurt.
Like a mother scolding her child for his fussy eating habits she spoke, "Don't complain when I went through the trouble of buying this and bringing this all the way here for you."
"Okay, Okay. Thank you for the food."
He knew that he could never win in an argument against her and gave up early.
After finishing his burger, he folded the wrappings into a ball and aimed for a nearby dustbin.
"Goal." The ball traveled in a curve went inside the dustbin smoothly.
Just after that, when he turned around again to see those two children Rita spoke to him.
"Nostalgic, isn't it?" said Rita in a compassionate tone.
"It does." replied Sam.
Now, both of them were looking at those two children playing there.
When they were child, they always used to come here and play together much like how those two children were playing in front of them.
They used to play there almost whenever they didn't have school.
"Those two are similar to us, aren't they?" Sam started speaking.
"Huh? How?"
"Look the girl is teasing the boy. And that innocent little boy is so embarrassed. Didn't you do the same to me? Always making fun me and having a laugh by yourself."
"I won't deny that. Because when you acted all embarrassed you looked so cute that it made me want to tease you more and more."
"Huh?"
Now that was unexpected. He never thought that someone would use a word like "cute" for him. Especially, when he was boy.
Noticing what was going on his mind Rita started braying.
"You won't stop teasing me ever, will you?"
He also realized Rita was teasing her as usual.
While they were reminiscing their past, dark clouds had started to gather over their head.
"Looks like it will be raining heavily."
Soon after Rita said that looking up, a single rain drop fell to her cheeks and slowly made it's way down.
Pitter-patter
The rain started tipping down. Within a mere few seconds, it was now raining cats and dogs.
"Hurry up. Let's go under that tree. The rain won't affect us that much there."
With her one hand she tried to cover her head and pointed at the nearby Samanea tree.
Then placing both her hands over her head, palm flat, she hurried towards the tree.
Other people who were around the park were also gathering around the tree. The two children who were playing there also ran pass him and rushed towards the tree holding their hands.
Sam was just sitting on the bench, looking upwards, with his eyes closed.
Then, he slowly stood up and started walking.
After taking few steps ahead he stopped.
Then he again looked up at the sky, closed his eyes.
Then slowly he spread both his hands open and his lips curled upwards forming a smile.
He looked as if he was embracing the rain. He was welcoming the rain with his arms spread.
While everyone was rushing pass him, looking for a place to shade them from the rain, Sam just stood there as if he was he was enjoying the warmth of the cold rain drops.
Rita was watching him from under tree with curious eyes.
After about 10 minutes the rain stopped.
Sam slowly put his hands down.
Rita was approaching him from behind.
"You are all wet now. Are you aware about your condition right now?"
Sam was wet from head to toes given that he had soaked himself in this heavy rain for about 10 minutes. He was wearing a white t-shirt which was now wet and revealed some parts of his chest.
"I am not. I was just enjoying the rain. I had nothing on my mind."
Still looking upwards he replied.
"Sam, can I ask you something?" Rita sounded a bit hesitant.
"Hmm?"
"Why do you like soaking in rain?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, I have noticed since childhood that whenever it rains you always get yourself soaked in the rain spreading your arms and your look as if you are enjoying to your heart's content."
He laughed slightly at her question and answered, "I feel like I have a special connection with the rain."
"Huh? What sort of connection are you talking about?" Rita couldn't help but be astonished at his answer.
He seemed like he was thinking for an answer and after a while he said, "I like the sound it makes. I like rain in and of itself."
When he glanced at Rita it seemed like she wasn't satisfied so he continued.
"When I stand spreading my hands like this and the rain drops hit me it feels like it's trying to make it's way towards my heart and trying to fill my heart with it's cold warmth."
After listening to that, Rita's body stiffened.
Without paying any attention to her, he continued.
"When I stand enjoying this rain, the moments pass in a flash and after a while the rain comes to a halt. This makes me realize how fleeting life can be. As I look at those swiftly moving clouds and wet leaves falling from trees, I start to think about my own passing days. And it makes me realize that.."
"That?"
"You only live once."
Just as he finished saying that, Rita hugged him from behind. Her face buried in his back and arms around his chest.
"What's the matter, Rita?"
When Sam asked her, she didn't speak for a while.
After a while she spoke.
"You know, you always act so childish. Never listening to what others say. Doing whatever you want. Always pulling childish pranks on others. But.."
"But?"
"But sometimes you say these type of things which are beyond my comprehension. It makes me feel like you are not the Sam I know but someone else."
Saying that she buried her head more intensely on his back.
Sam gently enveloped her hands, with his own two hands, which were around his chest.
They both stayed like that without saying anything.
After a while, Sam released his hands. He slowly freed himself from her embrace and turned around to face her.
He then grabbed her shoulders and said, "Rita, I have something to tell you."
"What?"
Rita was perplexed by his actions and by the seriousness of his tine carried.
Rita knew beforehand that, whatever he will say next won't be something pleasant for her to hear.
"I will be leaving Alauna for quite a while."
Her premonition came true.