The City of Rain

Introduction

He had never seen a city like this one, every building was painted with beautiful designs or simply colorful walls and a roof, all doors had the names of the families on them painted in various different ways not that it mattered most were constantly opening and closing. Massive gardens sprawled out in the front of houses and the backs each spilling into one another since houses were close together. The streets were lively with sounds of people laughing or talking, smells of various foods wafted out of the homes, all types of music blasted throughout the night. Children played, teenagers ran from house to house, and adults welcomed them with open arms or walked around with a bright umbrella talking to neighbors on the street as the rain poured. The city of rain was what most people called Jalua, and it was not what he expected he thought it would be a gloomy place that always rained. He did not expect all the light and love that seemed to overflow within the city.

An old woman approached him with a look of puzzlement on her face"Hey there sonny your gonna get soaked, whatcha doing without an umbrella?" and before he could answer she turned to one of the kids splashing in the puddles "Donnaque get this man an umbrella will you?"

The kid smiled brightly at the old woman"Okay Gammy" then the kid scampered off

"Oh that is really not necessary Mam," he told the woman

"Don't be ridiculous, everyone needs an umbrella here beside it being the fashion you kind of need it" she smiled and pointed at the sky "ain't ever been a day in my life that it hasn't rained, you'll thank me later and no more Mam anything Gammy will do just fine its what everyone calls me round here"

The man raised his eyebrows at this "Then who was the little boy um Donnaque that you just sent off, he wasn't your grandchild?"

"Aw heavens no! That one belongs too.... Hmm I can't quite recall I think he belongs to Miss Lucy he's her brother if I am to recall correctly the poor dears, they ain't got any family anymore the community done did raise them and now that Miss Lucy is old enough she gets along fine and works at the umbrella shop just down the street" Gammy probably would have gone on for a very long time but luckily for the man Donnaque had come with an umbrella

"Here ya go mister, oh and Gammy Mama Ray-ray says that you better get your, well I won't say the exact words for fear of my sister gettin told I said a curse but she basically said you had a better get your rear end down to her house because she hasn't seen you in a week. Gammy I think you ought to this time she seemed mighty mad"

To this, Gammy laughed something akin to a cackle "Ray-Ray knows full well why I haven't been there yet, child why did you go there to her house that old biddy ain't nothing but trouble she went and painted birds on my house! I told her I was wanting some flower buds, not flowering birds! Anyway if she asks again Donnaque you tell her that I'm not coming back till she apologizes"

The boy nodded solemnly at the old woman's words then quick as a whip he turned to the man who had just opened the umbrella "Say hows come I haven't seen ya round here? I know everyone, and also I knows those I don't knows. Where ya from mister? And why are you here? Most outsiders don't have the guts to come they don't appreciate the rain that's what my sister says anyways, which I can't fathom why not since the rain is so fun to play in. Then again we have tourists but only for the main parade, and that ain't happen till July when it rains the hardest! So why ya here?"

Gammy put her hands on her hips and cocked her head"Yes, why are ya here? This ain't a place that takes kindly to strangers even in the tourist season" 

The man chuckled softly replied "I am just trying to get away from everything for a while."