• It was raining, again…
    This wet weather seems never-ending.
    Holding her crimson red umbrella,
    Ella strolled about the busy streets of Berrywood town.
    In her flashy yellow raincoat, she was easily noticeable from the huge crowds, despite her tiny size.
    Everyone was in a hurry, either getting to his or her workplaces, or avoiding the raindrops as if it were corrosive.
    Ella amused herself by splashing in the puddles of water outside her kindergarden.
    The wet weather or the deafening splashes of raindrops didn’t seem to bother her.
    To her, rain was sweet. Rain was her joy.

    Berrywood town was a special place. It was a place where rain never stops.
    No scientist had ever figured out why it didn’t stop or where the town gets its never-depleting water source to produce such a downpour.
    The town was built in a special way, slanted.
    Raindrops that fell to the ground, was quickly drained away into the drainage systems.

    Just then, a huge figure approached Ella. “Come Ella,” he said, “time to go home.”
    “But Mama is not here yet!” Ella protested, she wanted to play more.
    “She will not be coming, she’s busy today.” apparently, Ella’s father had come to get her.
    What Ella didn’t know was that her mother had just been hospitalised and died of a heart attack a few hours ago.
    “Will Mama cook my favourite dish today?” Ella asked.
    “Mama is going to work late today, she won’t be home for dinner.” Her father replied, trying to hide the sadness in his voice.
    ‘Oh Ella, why are you so naïve?’ He thought.

    A few moments later, they were back in their cosy house.
    Ella was reading her favourite storybook by the fireplace when the phone rang.
    Her father went to answer it.

    A minute later, he returned to the armchair by the fireplace.
    “Papa, who was that?” Ella’s curiosity got better of her. “Was it Mama?”
    Her father sighed, “Yes it was her. Mama went out of town to work, she wouldn’t be returning home…” an uncontrollable tear rolled down his cheek.
    “Papa? Are you crying?” Ella asked.
    ‘Oh Ella, why are you so naïve? Haven’t you notice that there’s something wrong?’

    The downpour outside turned into a slight drizzle, however, it didn’t seem like it was going to stop.

    Seven years passed, Ella had turned into a fine young teenager.
    Popular among her peers, she was the class president as well as chairman of the Student Councillors.

    Despite her perfect life, she was haunted by her mother’s death.
    She discovered two years ago that her father had lied to her and kept her mother’s death a secret.
    She hated her father for that.
    Ella found out about it when Aunt Kate accidentally blurted it out in front of her.
    Ever since then, Ella stopped talking to her father.
    The last words she ever spoke to her father were “I hate you!”

    On the way home, in her flashy yellow raincoat, Ella noticed a car accident. Curiosity got the better of her again.

    Apparently, a car loss control on the slippery road and crashed into a lamppost, and also, injured a man.

    When Ella got closer, she was horrified.
    The man lying in the bloody mess was her father.
    She ran over to her father, knelt down beside him.
    “Papa! Papa!” She shouted to the half-dead man.
    Her father open his eyes slowly, “Ella…? Is… that you…?”
    “Yes Papa! Hang in there!” Ella cried desperately, “Someone call the ambulance!”
    “El… Ella…”
    “Yes Papa?”
    With all his strength, he held his hand close to Ella,
    clutched in his fist was a shiny necklace,
    a locket of his dead wife.

    He wanted to give this precious item to Ella for her birthday present,
    he said his last words to Ella. “I’m sorry… and… ha…happy birthday…”

    “PAPA!!” Ella hugged him, ignoring the blood and rain.
    Both her parents had left her.

    Ella regretted saying those three words to her father as her final words.

    Moments later, the loud siren was heard. Her father was taken away in an ambulance.
    Ella watched the ambulance roared away. Her tears mixed with the rain.
    For the first time, rain tasted so salty.

    Just then, it was suddenly quiet.
    Ella thought she went deaf. She covered her ears.
    Trying to figure out why she went deaf.
    Then she felt warmth on her face. The warmth she never felt before in her life.
    She looked up.
    A blinding light shined down on the streets.
    The rain stopped.
    It was sunshine.
    Ella cried.
    Uncontrollable tears rolled down her cheeks.
    How bitter…
    How bitter the rays of the sun were…