“Rain rain go away,
Come again another day,
Little Johnny wants to play,
Rain rain go away."
I learnt this rhyme when I was in my first standard in school. I loved reciting it in chorus with the rest of the class. I would go home and sing it to my mom. Yes, at some point, I had started singing it instead of reciting it. The intonations were such that the rhyme sounded more like a song; I still remember the tune! I don't remember though, if it was Little Johnny or Little Arthur. Doesn’t matter…
This post is not about the rhyme. It isn’t about reason either. :P It is about the rain! A few days ago, I was talking to a friend of mine who was cribbing about it pouring cats and dogs in his city that day.
I immediately exclaimed, "How can you not like the rain?!”
He replied, “I hate getting wet in the rain. I need my warmth and sunlight, any day.”
“You cannot be from India and not like the rain!"
"You haven't lived in Bombay!"
True. I haven't lived in Bombay. But, I have experienced floods, and they have never deterred me from liking the rains. I can spend hours sitting at the windowsill watching the raindrops hit the ground and window panes, just as tirelessly as the raindrops themselves. I like to take an umbrella and take long walks in the rain enjoying the sound (music, rather!) of raindrops falling on my umbrella. I find rainwater washing along the sidewalks to be beautiful! Back in hostel, I used to sit by my window, make little paper-boats and drop them onto the muddy stream of rainwater that flowed along the walls of the hostel building! Not to forget how romantic rains are!! ;)
The other day, it was pouring heavily, and everybody wanted to leave for home before the thunderstorm hit. People were taking shortcuts through the buildings in order to minimize outdoor-walking. I surprised everybody by opening my umbrella and stepping out for a walk! It was a nice 20 min walk. I was smiling throughout, getting strange looks from passers-by. Who cares?! I even decided to get my hair cut that day, much to the surprise of the employees of the empty salon. After tipping the beautician generously, I walked back home, slightly disappointed by the fact that it had stopped raining.
Post-rain is beautiful too. The smell of the earth (ah!), the puddles, the water droplets falling from the leaves, the colour of the atmosphere… Colour of the atmosphere??? No, I am not crazy! The air looks cleaner after the rain and it has a unique hue to it, so unique that I don't know what to call it. Any help will be greatly appreciated and duly acknowledged. :)
Thinking back about the walk, I was wondering if I would have done that without an umbrella. Probably not, and I don’t have a reason for that (nor do I have a rhyme. I told you that this post is not about either!). Actually, I don’t even know if I like it or not, I just haven’t done it ever. When I was a kid, my parents were very particular about me not getting wet in the rain. The slightest drizzle and an umbrella would be right over my head. If I did end up getting wet, I would receive royal treatment at home that day (sounds better when said in Tamil – Rajamariyadhai), but it came after all the scoldings. Hot coffee and warm water at my disposal, my mom desperately trying to dry my hair with a towel and me trying hard not to let that one little sneeze escape my nose - Sigh! Those days!
Anyways, back to where we started – The Rhyme. I still wonder why the rain was asked to go away, and why kids were made to recite that over and over again. I guess I only learnt that rhyme by rote and enjoyed singing it, but never let the meaning get to my head. That’s why, I think, I still love the rain! I pity all those poor souls, like my friend, who actually took the rhyme seriously (:P) and are, hence, missing out on one of nature’s most marvelous phenomena!
If I were to edit the rhyme, this is how it would read:
“Rain rain you are here to stay,
Come again every other day,*
Little Bryan** wants to play,
Rain rain you are here to stay!”
* I thought I will be a little nice to my friend. Sunny days can alternate, but he has to write his own rhyme for that though.
** Bryan doesn't seem to mind; Johnny and Arthur are still fighting. :P
