The Umbrella

The Umbrella

I remember the first time you held my handle. It was a rainy day, of course, for what would I be without a rainy day. You found me, lost and alone, in an old, rusted, sticky green dumpster. The trash pressed against my cold metal frame; the stench of old coffee and rotten bananas filled my soft canvas. It felt like not even the rain could wash away my pain. It was like a piece of gum attached to a shoe, always present. Then you came. Your little yellow boots were spots of sunshine and your short toddle was the pitter patter of the first rainfall. A spring sprung from your beautiful earthy eyes. You reminded me of my purpose to conquer all the water that falls. I guess you were lost too. The loud honks and yawps of humans drowned out your rainy sniffling sobs. You fished my frame out of the trash and wiped noodles off of me before carrying me out of the long dark ominous cobblestoned alley and into the smoky street. I remember seeing tall dark buildings - they pierced the sky like a thousand swords. I watched you scurry across the dark crowd and bravely navigate through the forest of legs. I became your eyes. I searched for whoever or whatever you were so desperate to find. I was about to forfeit all hope when I saw it. The big white umbrella, its ivory canvas and dark sea blue frame stood out against the crowd. I knew at that moment that we had found what we needed, the sunshine in the eye of the storm. I called you towards it and you followed my whispering voice on the wind. That day, we both found our way to a warm, kind home. Its leaf green door and carmine red brick brought colour to a colourless world. From the moment we ascended the charcoal steps into the house, and inhaled the cinnamon wafting through the door, I knew our journey together had begun and it was going to be a grand adventure. For a while, it was. We danced in the rain under the thundering sky; we obliterated all puddles in our path until your yellow boots became brown. When the sun set on the cloudy sky we would watch the rainbows bloom over the horizon. I thought we would stay that way forever, but I now know it was always going to end and I was simplydenying the inevitable: the day when you put me in the damp musty closet next to that beautiful emerald door and forgot about me. You had found someone else to love and when you saw them, your eyes shone like a thousand stars. My milky metal frame and my raven black canvas didn't appeal to you anymore. You preferred the silky pink topped umbrella with the frilly butterfly and chunky sunshine yellow handle. Its’ ferrule unfolded like a fairy fluttering on the breeze, unlike mine which would scrape my insides and stick to me like a magnet to iron. You loved it so much that you’d take it everywhere, even when there were no clouds in the sky. I still hoped you’d miss me, but you never did. I waited for you. Dust gathered on my canvas, rust creeped into my frame. Piles of large brown boxes were building around me, and fending off moths became a pastime. The years blended together like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. And then, one day, everything changed. That night the house felt different - the sun had gone and I could smell the rain. The clouds had come to our home, their grave stone faces and tall tall bodies reached the roof, they brought their scarlet frosty flashing lightning that pierced through the windows, blinding all within. Their vests shone like street lights and they brought an ominous blood red satchel. Then I saw you. You were so different. I remember your earthy brown eyes were covered by your tanned clay hands. You were wearing a beautiful silky white robe with frills at the ends. You were like a ghost unseen and unfeeling. Your sapling legs had sprouted into a wondrous tree that held the whole world on its shoulders. The clouds had come and stolen the sun that had given us a home all those years ago. I know because you brought the rain from your face when they left and I knew you were lost again. I waited for everything to return, for the light to come back into your eyes, but the sun wouldn't come back. It was gone, with your sunshine yellow rain boots and that beautiful frilly pink umbrella. Now there were dusky black pinching heels and charcoal slim dresses. Your click clack stride was  the first hail in a storm.  I could smell the ever present rain and thunder: it chased you around the house. No matter where you hid, it always found you. I wanted to help you face the storm, but I couldn’t, not from the closet. Then you found me again, in my fortress of boxes, under the dust and grime. You found my rusted yellow frame and my faded grey canvas. After all these years you reached out for my handle. Your cold hand grasped my old metal frame so tightly I thought your fingerprints would linger there forever. You brushed the thick dust off my top, then carried me out into the rainy sky. I was so excited that I could hardly keep still in the wind. I couldn’t wait to play with you, but you didn’t bring me to play in the rain. We didn’t go to a sunshine valley. Your red eyes still shone through the darkness around you and you didn’t stomp in any puddles. You brought me to a green earthy field littered with thousands of heavy dark rectangular stones, ghosts of the past, memories to be forgotten or cherished. Either way, they were not coming back. Neither were those sunshine days filled with rainbows and puddle stomping. After that day, you took me everywhere. You’d take me on long walks in the rain. Your thundering footsteps echoed across the cobblestone path, along the tunnel of buildings. Not even the pitch black sky was darker than your sorrow. Your sobbing breath was drowned out by thunder. As I watched you drown your sorrows in rain I realised that I would always be the one with you, as you find your way back to the sunshine valleys. After a while you put me back in the closet. The familiar waft of musky mould was a welcome change from the smoky streets. I don’t know when you will need me again, but I will always be here. Watching your life blossom is my crack of sunshine through the closet door.