Short Stories

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The Rainy Day

He stopped running and caught his breath. Water ran down his leg from his jeans to his shoes. His feet were cold, very cold.

If only aunt Jane had not had so much to drink last night. If only he had been able to wake her this morning he would not have had to walk to school in the rain. That mud puddle, oh that mud puddle. How could he face his classmates covered from head to toe in mud. He couldn’t, he just couldn’t. Tears ran down his cheeks as he thought of the embarrassment he felt. Deep inside he hurt. He was only six; it was not fair he had to carry so much on his shoulders. Why did his mother have to abandon him?

“Ring,” sang the bell. Students were running from cars to classrooms. Umbrellas folded as the wind caught them and tried to steal them away. Cries of excitement filled the air. They traveled like balloons through the hallways and out onto the playground. Students disappeared inside. Everything got quiet. Andrew just watched. He did not know what to do.

Slowly he plodded through the hallway. He shoes sloshed and his pants did not want to stay up. Tears ran down his cheeks. He wished he could stop crying but he couldn’t. He knew he was supposed to be at school but if he went inside he was sure that everyone would make fun of him. Maybe he could run away, no, that would probably get him in enough trouble to go to the principal office. Both thoughts were unbearable. As he passed by a window he saw his muddy tear stained face. He could not go inside like this. He had to find a place to hide. He ran to the end of the building. Oh no, more mud. Suddenly a door opened. “Splosh” he jumped into the mud and ran again. When he finally stopped he saw that he was behind his classroom. His feet stuck in the mud as if they were glued down. His clothes so wet that large drops of water ran down the inside of his shirt. Everyone was inside warm, dry and happy. He wished he could go inside but all he could do was stand, stand in the rain and watch.

“Andrew!” Andrew!” called a voice through the rain. He looked up and saw his teacher standing in the mud at the end of the building. “What’s the matter? We need you to come inside. Our classroom seems empty without you!” She was walking towards him holding her sweater over her head. Water was running down her arms and onto her clothes. “Andrew, please come inside.” He did not know what to do. He could not go inside looking like this. “Are you worried about being wet and muddy?” she asked. He nodded “yes” and then melted into her arms. “Things are going to be okay”. “It’s time we get you some dry clothes and a place to clean up.” Andrew looked up at her and smiled. They walked to the end of the building. Andrew could see a tall woman in a big hooded coat coming towards him. She was carrying a large bag. “I hear you need some dry clothes young man.” “Yes” he whispered. “Here you go.” Andrew took the bag. “You can clean up and change in here,” said the woman unlocking the door to the teacher restroom.

Andrew slowly walked inside and turned on the light. It was dry, it was clean and there were plenty of paper towels. This was exactly what he needed. He looked at his face in the mirror. “This looks like a 10 paper towel face” he said to himself. Then he got busy. After an enormous amount of paper towels and a great deal of soap Andrew was back to his old self.

He walked up to his classroom door and opened it wide. He went right in. “Good Morning Andrew, we are so glad you are here today,” said Mrs. Rose. No one seemed to know what had happened or why he was so late. “Hi, Andrew, whispered his good friend Tom. I was afraid you were not going to come to school today.” Andrew smiled.

Fourteen was an interesting age. Suddenly all of the information of the world became much clearer. Andrew remembered that day, the one that had changed everything. He still wondered why he did not get in trouble for running away. He wondered how his teacher knew how much he just needed a hug and some clean clothes. He remembered how entering his classroom and having Tom tell him how he was glad to see him had made him feel important. It gave him purpose. All of the bad stuff at home seemed to disappear. He was somebody at school. Somebody important.

It was another rainy day and Mrs. Rose sat at her desk correcting the last of a large stack of papers. Her eyes drifted out the classroom window and to the mud outside. Her mind slipped back to that day that had changed everything. She remembered seeming Andrew outside looking in the window. His tear stained face. Never before had she heard that still small voice shouting so loudly in her heart. She had made a quick phone call and then ran out into the rain. No amount of discipline would cure the situation. Give the boy a hug. Show him he is important. Let it go. Compassion. It seemed amazing how 15 minutes had made her a different person from the inside out. She wondered if Andrew knew what a difference he had made in her life.

Joshua 1:9

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