The day was rainy and wet. Awfully so. When I woke up, the room was dark, as if the sun had not risen yet. The only ambience was a dim haze. A flat consistency. Devoid of any colour or shadow. Simply uniform. As I shut the window in my room, a cold draft of air drifted in, raising the hair on my arms. Stepping out into the hallway, I remembered to shut the window in Father’s old room as well. On the floor, still, layed the empty blanket. Alice’s blanket.
I went down to shut the backdoor, which was still slightly ajar—just as I left it—but not without a quick peek outside. It did not take much of a glance to deduce it rained last night. The air was cool. The wooden boards were still somewhat damp. Birds were silent. Cicadas abstained. There were hardly any signs of life, other than the constant churning of the watermill and the skyless sky. A thick blanket of clouds rolled in at an ominous crawl, somehow darkening the turbulent sky while the ground remained lit and windless. It left the whole world drained of vibrance. Quite a drab day.
Just as I ate, a downpour of rain arrived. I suppose, after the series of spectacular weather we had, I should have expected this eventually. Staring at the glass door, as rain sprinkled the porch, I wondered if I should instead leave the door open. It was no good to get the hardwood floor wet. However, I imagined Alice huddled outside, drenched in the rain, unable to open the door.
On days like these, I met Jane at the train station. No need for her to travel all the way out here, in the rain, then back to town. It was still raining quite a bit when I arrived. Jane was already there, her hair wrapped up with a headscarf.
“What a sullen day!”
“Certainly.”
“Had I known it was going to rain, I would have postponed our market day to tomorrow!”
“Well, no matter. We’re here now.” Looking around, there were not many people on the streets. “Although… do you reckon the market is still open on a day like this?”
“Of course! They’ve got to get in their business somehow.”
“Well, sure, come rain or snow…” I mumbled, taking another glance around the station. “But, would they be in attendance, especially when everyone is inside?”
“I’m sure they would. The market should be busier than here. No reason to linger around this street on a dreadful day.”
“I suppose.”
Gazing at the wet brick, there were many small puddles already beginning to form. With a blow of the whistle and a wet screech, the tram rolled off, leaving just the two of us alone at the station. Jane stood there, awkwardly waiting for me to lead the way, though I idled, listening for no reason. By the time I realised she was waiting for me, she was already distracting herself, hastily looking about from underneath the shelter of the station. I took one of the umbrellas off my arm and handed it to her.
“Hm? Oh, thanks. Do you think we should wait for the rain to settle down a bit?”
“Perhaps. Depends on how much longer this goes for.”
“I can’t imagine too much longer.”
With a shrug, Jane and I headed to the market. Just as she said, it was busier there. Not keen of the rain, however, Jane did not spend much time browsing around, picking up only what she needed. Seeing this, I hastened my choices. If I needed more, I could stop by another time this week. Furthermore, without a second mouth to feed, it was best to ease up on the groceries for the time being, rather than let good food go to waste.
Leaving the market, we stopped by my shop as usual to check the post for my neighbour. Indeed, there was a parcel for her. Seeing how the rain would not stop anytime soon, I invited Jane inside whilst I stored away the parcel. I didn’t bother with the lights, heading straight towards the back of the shop. I heard her laugh a bit as she shut the door, slightly amused.
“Ah! I don’t often get to see your shop shut down and dark like this!”
“Well,” I breathed, unlocking the back closet. “It is a tad darker than usual.”
“Definitely gives it an interesting flavour.”
I chuckled. “Does it?”
“When you don’t get to see it so often?”
“I suppose, for you it is.” Laying down the package on one of the higher shelves, I closed the door once more. “I wouldn’t call it flavourful, though.”
Setting down her basket on the front counter, she pulled at her skirt, inspecting the dampened fabric. “You’re right. Maybe… say… moody. A moody atmosphere. Maybe a little spooky.”
“How so? All the flowers?”
“Mm… I don’t know. I don’t know what makes it spooky.”
“It’s no different than my cottage at night.”
“Ah, so it’s just like home for you.”
“Almost, yes. The floor is not as barren as it is here.”
“I guess the flowers do make it feel like a garden. Along with the smell. Like being out in the forest at night.”
“Makes sense. Though—”
All of a sudden, there was a rattle. A gust of wind passed by, rousing the window panes. The door shook in its socket, and rain pelted the front of the shop.
“Oh dear!” Jane exclaimed.
I exhaled a breathy laugh. “As if it weren’t enough!”