Must Read: Rain (A Story By Gracile) - Season 1 - Episode 11

Episode 6 years ago

Must Read: Rain (A Story By Gracile) - Season 1 - Episode 11

The room was dark and grandma had lit a tiny torch as she rummaged through her drawers.
“finally” she sighed as she brought out a lidded plastic bowl.



She took it to the bed and sat down. With the tiny torch on her left hand to began to scan through the contents of the bowl. She paused as she lifted one of the letters and smiled wryly as recognition dawned on her. It was the letter she had almost tore into shreds the letter she wrote herself. She opened it and saw the first line “Dear Clin”.



Tears welled up in her eyes as the memories played themselves in her head. It seemed like yesterday when it all happened; the events that led to death of the two people she ever loved.
The guilt of which will forever haunt her. She had called him Clin then after much insisting from him not to refer to him as sir. She had gradually gotten used to referring to him as Clinton, but after much series of love making, the name Clin stuck. He on the other hand referred to her as “my love” but she was too shy to reciprocate the pet name then. The kept their affair secret of course, but in a bid to cover up the abomination they created, she made a big mistake that death hasn’t erased. How sweet and cruel love could be at the same time. She broke into a sob, hot tears that stung her soul more than it did her entire face. A knock came in from the door, breaking her from her thoughts.
Using the end of her wrapper, she quickly wiped her face and gathered the papers sprawled upon her bed.


“knock knock” Rains voice came again.


“I’m coming, hold on” she said while she frantically fondled the papers back into the box before sliding it in the drawer.


“come in “


“is everything okay” Rain inquired scrutinizing the room


“yes dear, everything’s fine” she said huskily, her voice betraying her


Rains brow knitted in worry “Nana, why are you crying?”


“nothing, I’m not crying” she sniffed and tried to force a smile.



“you can talk to me Nana, we’re all we have, it breaks my heart when I see you hiding things from me”



“I will tell you my child, I promise you will know all these things someday”



“Someday? Not today? “


“I can’t tell you right now”


Rain was trying hard not to show her anger, she saw Nana going through letters before hiding them, why did she hide it quickly? She wanted to ask , the words formed in her mouth, but she kept back as usual.



“tomorrow? But you just came today”.


“I know Meggy just called to say that there might be an impromptu test tomorrow and besides, lots of practicals are going on and I’ll miss a lot if I stay her any longer”



That was a lie, they were having a warning strike.


Nana remained quiet too ashamed and scared of what Rains reaction would look when she revealed the truth.


“when is a right time?!” Rain barked causing
Nana to flinch a little.


“Watch your temper young lady, I can’t have you talking to me this way. Raise your voice at me one more time and I’ll give you a slap you’ll never forget!” Nana pointed, a muscle in her jaw twitching.



Rain glared at her, her face scrunched up the way it normally does when she was filled with fury. She grumbled something and walked out barging the door behind her.



In her room now, she la!d on her back with her face towards the ceiling. She was too bitter to cry and to confused to think. She checked the time again, it was quarter to 12am. “Nana must be asleep by now” she thought to herself. She climbed down from her six inch spring bed and walked barefooted to Nanas door, the coldness of the cemented floor freezing her legs. She peeped through the tiny hole on the door and though the room was dimly
lit she could tell that Nana was fast asleep.
Then quietly, she opened the door, lifting it up gently as she did so it doesn’t make the screeching sound it makes when it glides across the floor. She went straight to the drawer and opened the last cupboard, she was sure Nana dropped it here from where she had stood peeping earlier. Her hand groped inside the cupboard feeling batteries, clothes and wool before she touched something plastic. Nana stirred and said some incoherent words before turning on her other side. Rain sighed to release a bottled air she didn’t know she was holding then she closed the cupboard and left the room as quietly as she had entered. The plastic box secured under her arms.


Rain is seated on her bed with her back against the brick wall. Lots of papers were littered all over, some she had flung in anger. Her eyes were sore from much reading and her spine throbbed with pain. Determined to get her answers, she squinted over the last letter in her right hand, as she read intently; the old kerosene lamp her only source of light.



She finished reading the last sentence of the last paper before throwing her back on the bed to gaze at the high ceiling as if expecting it to speak, to say something at least it has been there all these years, had witnessed all these atrocities and evil going on in the house. Or was it corrupted like the rest of them? Everything now made sense, the eluded questions and pieces of fickle stories that didn’t quite fit together.



She yawned and cold tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. They must be reflecting the condition of her heart. Her eyes now bloodshot as they burned with new determination. She looked at the plastic box and laughed, pain ringing in every sound.



“I hate you Nana, with every drop of my blood I hate you for ruining my life, for ruining my life, for killing my mother!” she screamed and kicked the box with all her might.



That night she cried and soaked her pillow with
a river of tears with her head aching badly. She wished she could scream more and punch the walls with her fists but the tears choked her throat and her whole body seemed paralysed with shock. She had never felt hatred and betrayal this intense before. The only person she ever trusted, the person who meant everything to her turned out the cause of her calamity, the witch behind her woe.


She dreamt her grandma was weeping bitterly then she woke up startled, only to find out it was not a dream. Her grandma was seated across from her and weeping profusely. For a moment, Rain forgot about the hatred she now has for her grandma and felt pity for the old woman beside her.



Grandma turned to face her “I know you now know everything, quite everything, but I can explain…”


Rain simply got up and made to exit the room, but Nana grabbed her by the arms


“you’ve gotten it all wrong my child, those are not there is to the story, she said pointing to the box, please let me explain”



“leave me alone. You’ve had seventeen years to do that Its too late, I hate you Nana for doing this to me, I don’t think Ill be able to forgive you” she said and broke loose from Nanas grip .



“Rara… Rain stopped in her track, only Nana called her by that and she only did so when she was serious.



..”I did all I did for the sake of my family, I did it to protect you and Sally..


"I trusted you Nana! You meant everything to me but not anymore. I'm going to go find my father, don't bother about contacting me".



" Your dad is not who you think"


"I'll decide about that, what makes you think I'll believe a word you say?"