This week's Wednesday was indeed an unbelievable day for me.
Here is how it went.
I have always been clear about my dislike for the rainy season. I appreciate the life rain gives plants and animals, it's part of nature. I love the cool breeze that comes with it, the extra nap time it gives me when it cancels my early morning classes, I love when it cancels out noise, and it's just the rain I hear. But I hate wet clothes — on or off. I don't like the restraint it places on me, even though I can be a chronic introvert sometimes, but I don't like it when it's not my choice, and that is what the rain does.
Last week, so many movements I was meant to make were cancelled by the rain. So this week I decided to branch out and buy a raincoat before going to my aunt's house on Wednesday.
Normally I don't like going to the market alone because I have never known how to negotiate and bargain prices.
I reached the market and, after a stroll, I finally came upon a shop that had raincoats. The vendor was a girl, and her little brother was helping her.
I went on to ask for a raincoat and they gave me one. The raincoat fitted me well, and I liked the color and size — it was perfect.
I asked for the price and when she told me it was a little above my budget. I tried asking for a lesser price but the girl was hell bent on the price and acted like I was a beggar on the street begging her for some change.
Then suddenly her demeanor changed and she rushed in and brought an umbrella out. It was the fancy type that folded and had a plastic container.
“You can take this one for 3500," she said, handing me the umbrella.
The price was far lower than that of the raincoat, but I never planned to buy an umbrella because I hadn't bought one before, and I am usually scared when buying things for the first time.
She became so friendly and finally convinced me to buy the umbrella instead.
Since she wanted me to have the umbrella, I priced it lower, and she didn't put up much resistance before accepting it.
I bought the umbrella and thanked her before leaving.
I was on the road and there were signs of rain, but since I had an umbrella, I even decided to walk when I normally used transport — just because I now had an umbrella.
When the rain started, I opened my umbrella. People ran, and I walked. But then it became very serious with the wind blowing.
Whoosh, the breeze almost took the umbrella from me, but I held on tight, and the canopy and ribs of the umbrella all went the opposite direction of gravity's pull. And in an instant, I was soaked and shocked.
I ran to the nearest shade and struggled to fix the umbrella. When I finally turned the coat back to normal, it was then that I noticed I was standing alone beside a madman. He was talking inaudibly to himself while protecting his trash with one hand and smoking a cigarette with the other.
Even under the shade the wind still managed to make me struggle with the umbrella, but I had no choice because my thoughts started to run wild as I avoided eye contact while keeping an eye on his every movement.
“What if this man attacked me?"
"Would I run or defend myself? What would I use?”
Is it even possible for me to defend myself against someone twice my size and a 100 times crazier than me?"
“What reason does he have to attack me?"
“I can't think of any reason,"
“Did I just compare my thinking with a madman's?"
“He is crazy. Does he need a reason to attack me? I don't think so.”
I snapped out my thoughts as his mumbling suddenly grew louder. I didn't think I went headfirst into the downpour. I felt the down pressure of the rain and pushed against the wind. As for my useless umbrella — it didn't last a second before becoming useless again.
When I started seeing people carry their umbrellas without any difficulty — even a little boy with his little umbrella. Then I knew the umbrella was useless and didn't even bother using it again. But I didn't throw it away on the spot like I wanted to because I wanted to know what was wrong with the umbrella or if I offended a rainmaker somewhere.
The first thing I did on reaching the house was check the umbrella. The ribs were like broomsticks. I still wonder if the girl sold me the umbrella fully aware and had bad intentions.
It was a hell of a day I won't forget... Whew, what an unbelievable day.
Hi everyone 👋👋 Zainab here and this is my first time posting in this community
All images are mine