Keep Walking by Anannya Musale

Keep Walking By Anannya Musale | Graphics by Mia Dugandzic

Cloudy afternoons, busy streets, Gloomy skies with a hint of drizzle. Distracted from my study, I stared out the window as if it were a puzzle. ‘Maybe I deserve a break,‘ I said Ducking out of the window, I tasted the puzzle with my head. It was a puzzle even as I closed my eyes. Tiny droplets felt like a mischief in disguise. They trickled down my cheeks, I could feel them race Soon they began to tickle me, and I tried to brush them off my face.

I opened my drenched eyelids only to watch The light drizzle now pouring into seas. I moved away from the window, letting out a sneeze. ‘Close the window, you’ll catch a cold,‘ Said my grandma with a cup of hot tea in her hold. ‘You know what these showers remind me of?’ She began to ponder. Excitedly, I leaned in, Only to hear the thunder.

‘We were walking to school, my friend and I, And it rained the same, it rained the same, As we walked along that lonely lane. I suddenly felt a jerk, as if someone had pulled my hair, And I turned around to a see a grown man, Acting as if it was only fair. I freed myself from his clutches, Ran away with my friend. Realising he didn’t follow, we reached a dead end. Looking back, we laughed and we cried; this became a famous tale. We told everyone our little experience with the rain and hail.’

Grandma left me wondering how a shower so rough and so violent Could be dismissed and made silent. I thought to myself, I have nothing to fear, The rain won’t be so cruel to me, It won’t make me shed a tear.

I also walked along a lane, although now a memory lane. I was little, I was scared, I was small and golden haired. A similar gentleman tried to ‘brush’ his hands past my knees, Giving me a smile, with utmost ease. I kept walking and caught up with my mother, He didn’t seem to follow; he didn’t want to bother. Then, too, it rained the same, It rained the same with a hint of thunder.

How many more times has it rained the same, I began to wonder. We live in a different world now. We live in a different world, where it rains the same today, As yesterday and the day before. It remains a puzzle; it remains a mystery, Although I can’t complain about being scared, As I lie in my bed within my home of perfect symmetry.

I still try to catch the droplets on my face, I still try to find a ray of sunshine, Thinking, there will be a rainbow, just in case. Being inside these walls does make me feel secure For I know, outside, everyone is fighting to find the cure. Now I walk a few near-isolated paths without fear, For I know, now they won’t come more than a metre near. Having a mask does cover one’s face, It covers one’s cough, it covers one’s sneeze. I wonder if it also covers one’s thoughts with the same ease.

I ask my Grandma, over the buzz of an interrupted video call, ‘Do you feel safe, do you feel protected, Now that your walks entail Strolling from your bedroom to the dining hall?’ She laughs and says, ‘Sure, I feel safer, But it still rains for those outside … I wouldn’t get my hopes too high.’ To collect my thoughts, ‘Connection’s poor. I’ll call later,’ I lie.

I remind myself every now and then, There are people boarding a bus and a train, With the same fears and many more. It rains the same today, as yesterday and the day before.

To all those in rains like these, I send love, strength and gratitude. I hope the raindrops on your cheeks get brushed off with ease. I hope the cold doesn’t make you sneeze.

I hope you outrun the showers. I hope you can enjoy the drizzle As much as the sun, And I hope you bloom as flowers.