The Merciless Rain

            Author: Rizwan Ahmed Memon

The sounds of thunder, lightning, and wind frightened Rozina. She was afraid that the roof of her old room, which was the only room in her house, would fall down. That night she didn’t sleep at all. While singing her two young ones a lullaby and asking God to stop the rain, she kept saying Allah Samad, Allah Samad.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier. The roof started leaking. When drops of water fell on the fragile cheeks of young Rossy, she woke up. Four-year-old Rossy said, “Mama, is water coming into the room?”

“No, no, sweetie. You sleep. The rain is going to stop.” Soon after she said that, drops fell on Rahi's head. The ten-year-old boy said, “Mama, I am getting wet!”

“Okay, let’s sit in the corner,” said the poor mother.

“Mama, isn’t it leaking there?” Rossy asked.

“I hope not,” she said mildly. She tried to make the situation look easy by using simple and short words. After a while, the roof leaked in the corner, too. Troubled Rozina kept changing places and corners, but the weak roof could no longer stop leaking. The merciless rain grew wilder and wilder making the situation worse.

“The rain is so strong. I am afraid of it,” Rossy said to Rahi.

“Me too,” added Rahi.

“Look–everything is going to be fine by morning. It is just a light rain,” the mother comforted them.  After a few minutes, one of the beams in the roof cracked. The sound indicated that the beam was going to break in the middle. “Hurry up, children, we need to get out of the room as soon as possible. The roof is going to fall,” Rozina shouted. The three of them ran out in the rain.

“Oh no, my doll! I don’t want her to be smashed under the roof!” Rossy exclaimed and pulled her hand from her mother’s. She ran into the room to get her doll.

"No, Rossy, don't! Don't go inside!" her mother shouted. Rossy resolutely entered the room. At that very second the whole roof fell down. 

Rozina and Rahi cried out loud for help, but no one came to them in that merciless rain. Little Rossy, who just wanted to get her doll, never returned. Last year Rozina lost her husband, Rabel, who drowned in a river. He was a fisherman. Poor widow’s wounds hadn't even healed enough before she lost her little daughter.

Thousands of people in the world suffer from poverty, unemployment and hunger. They look for a good shelter, food and strive to make a living. Isn't it our responsibility to look after these poor, unfortunate people? Let's play our part and be good human beings who love and care for each other.