That day should have been just like any other. Wake up, work, go home, sleep. But the more I went through this routine, the heavier it felt. Every step I took seemed haunted by a weight that never lessened. Problems piled up from all directions, like a downpour that never stopped. Unfinished work, a boss who always pushed me, and a family that was starting to lose trust. I felt like I was walking down a dark hallway with no end, not knowing where I was heading.
At the office, I just sat in front of my laptop, staring at the blank screen for hours. Unanswered emails, tasks piling up, and my head felt full. It felt like the world had stopped paying attention to me. When my coworkers joked or chatted, I stayed silent, as if their voices couldn't reach my ears. There was no point in talking. After all, who would care? It all felt like it was pulling me further into isolation.
The workday ended, but I still had no direction. I stepped out of the office, my body tired, my mind empty. The rain began to fall heavily. The streets, usually bustling, suddenly felt deserted. Only the sound of the rain hitting the pavement could be heard. I walked without an umbrella, letting myself get drenched. There was a strange feeling inside me, like the rain was the only one who understood what I was feeling. As if the rain was the only one who knew what it felt like to be trapped in an uncertain life.
I stopped in front of a small food stall, standing still for a moment, watching the street begin to flood with water. I didn't know why I stopped there, but I felt like I needed time to think about everything. Maybe I just wanted to run away from a world that was constantly draining my energy.
The silence brought bad thoughts that came one after another. What's the point of all this? I felt exhausted from fighting with no results, stuck in a routine with no end. Should I give up? But how would I give up? Should I go to a place where no one knows me? Leave everything behind, forget all the things that were weighing down my life? The thoughts spun, growing darker with the intensity of the rain.
I looked up, letting the rain soak my face. The coldness of the rain pierced through, but for some reason, I didn't care. It felt like the rain was the only thing that could understand me. I just wanted to disappear, vanish from this world, escape everything that hurt. But just as my thoughts neared the decision to give up, my eyes caught a figure in the distance.
In front of the small food stall, a woman sat on a long chair, holding a torn yellow umbrella. She seemed so calm, different from everyone else who was frantically searching for shelter. Her face was facing the rain, as if she were speaking to the nature that was crying. She seemed unaffected by anything. I felt drawn to approach her, not out of curiosity, but because of an impulse I couldn't explain, as if something was calling me.
I finally spoke, the first time since I left the bustle of the office. "Wouldn't it be better to take shelter here? That umbrella isn't really an umbrella anymore," I said, trying to start a light conversation, even though my heart felt heavy.
She turned slowly, offering a small smile. Her eyes were calm, but there was something in her gaze that deepened my curiosity. "In this kind of rain, it actually feels nice. It makes you forget the complexities of the world," she replied softly, but there was a depth to her voice that seemed to touch something hidden inside me.
Our conversation wasn't complicated. She spoke only of the rain, about dreams, and living in simple ways, as if talking about something greater. Something that made me feel at peace for the first time in a long while. It felt like the outside world, full of problems, started to fade away. This woman, who was only briefly in my life, gave me a moment of peace that I had long lost.
I didn't know who she was or why she was there, but in that brief conversation, I felt like something very important had just happened. She made me realize one thing: I still had time to change. I still had a choice. Maybe, this confusing life of mine wasn't the end.
However, reality hit when she got up to leave. As she handed me a letter, I felt something strange. The letter felt so simple, yet its contents made me feel like the world was spinning out of my control.
"Thank you for keeping me company today. Sometimes, the rain is the only one who listens to my story. Oh, and one more thing… three years ago, at this spot, I left forever. Maybe we'll never meet again, but don't forget to be happy, okay?"
My hands trembled as I read the letter, and I felt a deep unease. What did it mean? This woman... she was no longer here? Was I facing a memory or something much bigger? I stared at the empty street, but there was no trace of her. It seemed she had vanished without a trace. Only I was left, standing in the rain, holding a letter that was getting wetter by the second.
That feeling remained, even as the rain started to subside. Since that day, I silently promised myself that I would find a reason to be happy, just as she asked. Maybe that was the last message she left for me. I wouldn't give up. I would find a way to change.