Rain

Yesterday I was caught in the rain while cycling home. I rushed to escape from it like if it were poisonous. I did a frantic escape that in the first part always takes me down a hill with a medium slope (Perry Road). In the middle of this hill-road there is a traffic light in the T intersection with a big slope road (St. Michael’s Hill) with cars coming down.

I was stopped by the police once in this junction for not stopping in the appropriate area, behind a marked line. In fact, that time I was more cautious than the usual because my normal procedure to sort out that traffic light will be as follows:

• On approaching the red light apply the breaks only to reduce the speed
• If there are cars on the way, go up to the pavement and approach the corner with moderate speed avoiding the posts for the pedestrians at the same time.
• Once in the corner and without stopping completely, unless it is strictly necessary, have a quick look at everyplace, specially the left hand side looking for cars coming down.
• Run the red light.

Since I was stopped by the police I have been stopping at the red light and not going up to the pavement. I don’t have anything to discuss. A pedestrian running down the hill might bump into me with horrendous consequences.

But yesterday it was raining and coincidentally new penalties were also announced for careless driving (perhaps careless cycle riding as well?). These give imprisonment to careless driving (in the past you only got a fine) if it ends in someone’s death.

But it was raining and I was running away as if I could be soluble in rain. I am not proud of it and fortunately this time nothing bad happened. After crossing the red light I was realizing how stupid I was acting. Running away from the rain…why? I have been caving completely soak and cold…why am I escaping from the rain.

And then I started noticing the people around me, the recollection of the opening scene of the movie “My life without me” came to my mind. I started to slow down my speed and looked back to see the face of a girl walking as I passed besides her. She was walking as if the rain couldn’t touch her. Some meters forward I saw another girl walking with the same attitude. There were people scared of the rain, there were people just walking in the rain. I saw big men with their head and shoulders down, submitted to the rain.

I was happy to arrive at home.
It didn’t matter I was soak and wet.