something about rainy nights

it poured real heavily last night. i was walking on the sheltered path but it was not much of a shelter really. the harsh wind just kept bringing on the torrential rain in my direction and before i knew it, my vision was kind of filtered through many, many tiny droplets that had collected on my spectacles. i like rain, but if only at that time i was in the comfort of my home and not braving the storm outside. for once, though, the dormant umbrella in my bag came into use.

a few hours after i had got home, the rain subsided and it was starting to get a little stuffy once again. Little did i expect that it would pour again later in the night, when i and most other people were already sound asleep.

there's something about being at home on a night while a heavy rain pours relentlessly outside that makes you feel very safe and reassured, as though you are protected from some ongoing harm that is wreaking havoc. i guess this feeling of assurance is not consciously felt but it implicitly derives from the fact that you are taking comfort, literally, in being sheltered from a storm whose ferocity is very tangibly felt. the constant flashes of lightning and accompanying thunderous roar makes one shiver but the very cool weather is a welcome change from the scorching afternoon heat. to enjoy the moment, it is best to play some soft music that helps create a soothing atmosphere.

lying snugly in bed with the music and the clattering rainfall in the background completes the picture of bliss. as it is, savour the coolness of the night while the rain pours on with abandon - because it won't be long before the realisation of its subsidence strikes you and induces a sense of disapppointment. calmness, in this case, is not something one desires or hopes for.