The drops drip through the roof.
They’re just another reminder.
Of what might not be tomorrow.
Of what we might have to surrender.

Mother tells me not to go out in the rain.
I can’t play like the others.
I have to help her out,
Take care of my little brothers.

The twins’ fever is high,
And is refusing to fall.
Very unlike our cottage,
Our house, with no real walls.

My mother and I.
We dread the minute this abode will collapse.
I try to make the twins sleep,
But all they do is-point out in the door, huge gaps.

I wonder how long this will go on,
Rain, thunderstorms, lightning.
And most of all, worrying.
Honest to God, this is frightening.

The temperature outside falls,
And theirs’ rises.
And half the house crumbles.
Well, there’s a surprise.

Panicking, I turn to mother.
Who’s as dumbstruck as I.
What will happen to us four?
Will we…die?

I tug on her sleeve,
She looks at me helplessly.
I take one boy from her arms,
I can’t see her handling them so carelessly.

With no clue, Of what to do,
Of where to go.
I just have one thing to say.
Everything about the rain is not a rainbow.

* *

We knock on the doors,
The neighbours barely come out.
None of them takes us in,
Some apologize, some are indifferent, some even shout.

Our despair increases,
She’s bordering on hysterical.
We don’t know what to do,
Except…wait for a miracle?

The twins are burning,
I try to protect one under my arm.
I know it’s next to nothing,
But well, trying doesn’t harm.

The rain falls in sheets,
On my family it’s taking its toll.
Mother’s impractical, naive, and the twins oblivious.
I know then, I have to take control.

I make a steel resolve,
And start to move on.
I know we can’t afford,
For us both to be teary and torn.

Wordlessly, she follows my lead,
Maybe she thinks I know what to do.
But well, guess what?
I have not one clue.

I just march on,
To find a safe haven.
Just a roof for the night,
A shed, a garage, a warehouse, a tavern?

And preferably some medication, too.
For I can’t see the twins go down the same road,
As father did. No, not again.
Mother won’t be able to handle the load.

Tears pool in my eyes,
But I brush them away.
I cannot let emotions take control of me,
I have to after all, guide the way.

I silently pray to God.
To let me keep them safe and sound.
I wish the night would go by soon,
And by tomorrow, a shelter, we would’ve found.

And as I stride forward,
With no destination to go,
I again have just one thing to say.
Everything about the rain is not a rainbow.

*

I don’t know what time it is,
Two? Three? I know it's past midnight.
We’ve been trudging on and on,
And haven’t seen one welcoming light.

Yes. There were houses on the way.
Shelters.  Accommodations. Even hotels.
But we have no money, no food. No one let us in.
Even the tiniest little flicker of hope has gone to hell.

Mother asks me to wait up again,
She can’t keep pace with me.
Impulsively, I reach over and take the other twin, too.
And shout, “There you go! You’re free!”

She looks startled, like she didn’t see this coming.
Well, neither did I.
But, why can’t she understand?
We have to hurry. We might..die.

Life’s never been easy on us,
But this is one of its worst tricks.
And it’s only getting worse,
As the clock ticks.

On their sixteenth birthdays,
Most kids get dresses, watches, cars.
I got a broken home. Literally.
All I wanted was a bunch of wild flowers.

But well, it wasn’t meant to be.
This is my destiny, my fate.
I guess for my share of happiness,
I’ll have to wait.





In the distance, I see a flickering light.
Will this be..The One?
After what feels like centuries of darkness,
Will this be our Sun?

There’s something about it. Intuition?
My feet move faster, and so does my heart.
In my mind, there is conviction,
This will be a new start.

Vestigial fear grips me,
As I’m about to knock.
What if our last hope, last aspiration says no?
Not that it would be a colossal shock.

But I’d break down.
Emotionally, mentally, physically.
I’d pass the bridge of oblivion,
But it would hurt my family brutally.

I summon up strength,
And knock on the door.
Before she can access our condition,
We’re unconscious, and have dropped to the floor.


*


She healed us, took care of us,
Brought back the twins’ health, and smiles.
Gave us a new identity,
Away from the slums and garbage piles.

She says she’s a doctor,
But I think she’s more.
I reckon she’s an angel,
Who brought back life to us four.

She gave us health, freedom, life, hope.
She even gave me and Mother jobs.
For a change, Mother is happy too,
And no more in the night, do I hear her deep sobs.

We’re as happy as could be,
We got our version of a happy ending.
Every rain may not have a rainbow,
But every story has a miracle pending. :)