Chapter 3: Fourth Rainy Day

The errands were on his mind. But, it was a relief to concentrate on the rain instead. The wind blew and the trees swayed in tune with it. The rain sprayed on his face and he licked the drops on his lips. It was chilly. He walked on. He reminded himself that he was thankful for the rain as it made him less anxious about his errands. Heck, I should find some shelter and stay, he thought. When I get worried, I can step outside and feel the rain. It, indeed was a long walk to his destination. A small wooden building stood some distance away from him and he decided he'd make his way there. It had a small verandah with the seat a little higher than usual, but noticeably more comfortable. He sat and waited for the rain to stop. As he gazed into the rain, he saw his life flash past - moments of nostalgia, moments of regret, moments of sadness and anger, moments of terror - all what defined him. Is this what life is ultimately? moments? he thought. The anxiety of not being able to complete his errands was one, the anxiety of not being able to live his life as he wanted was more terrible. He had no time to stop. No time at all. Or these thoughts would catch up and consume him. Only the rut of everyday life could make him forget everything. Like a sheep goes after grass. No looking back at the greener grass that he could have eaten. No thinking about what the plan is for getting the next chunk of grass, just live. What an ideal thought, much better suited for an ideal world, he thought. Here, we have different kinds of grass, which are all essential but with varying degrees of difficulty. And there is our mind, from which we have no escape. It's our tool to eat the different types of grass. He realised suddenly that he wasn't ready for more philosophy and got back into the rain.