This was initially a submission for a writing contest, but I entered a 'bit too late', and the submission could not be sent in time. Oh well...
* Note, I posted this on another site as well with a different title. Don't think I'm plagiarizing!

Fate In The Rain

Plip, plop. Huge drops of rain fell from the grey, murky sky and splashed onto the stone pavement that lined the streets below. As rain poured down, people walking along the street either started opening their umbrellas, or began running for shelter. None of them, however, seemed to notice a pair of eyes watching them from the shadows of the 6-metre buildings that surrounded the street.

Sighing, Meinwen opened her eyes and gazed at the people around her. Her whole body was shivering, pricked by the bitter North Wind that followed after the downpour. She bit her lip, trying to fight the cold. Her eyes widened as she frantically tried to look for a proper shelter, but there seemed to be none in sight. She sat down on the pavement and began to weep.

“I shouldn’t have left. I shouldn’t." she thought, tears seeping out from her red, swollen eyes.

Meinwen was actually an orphan. Her parents had died from cancer when she was around three years old. She was then raised by her aunt, but only for a short while, for her aunt died three years later. After that, she was sent into St. Anna’s Orphanage. She actually hated being in St. Anna’s, as she would be bullied by other children, and the caretakers there could be quite rough sometimes. There was one particular caretaker, Madam Swintall, who also had been nicknamed ‘The Dinosaur’, for she, according to other children, had ‘big teeth’ and ‘scary eyes’. Madam Swintall could be kind sometimes, but mostly, she scolded and punished Meinwen for unknown reasons. Fed up with all of this, she had fled from the orphanage.

A week had passed since she had escaped. The feeling of regret, anxiety and loneliness was already building up inside her. With nothing but a tattered dress to cover her, a withered tree as a shelter and having scarce supply of food, she had been reduced to skin and bones.

As the heavy downpour started to cease, Meinwen wiped her eyes and glanced towards the sky. With the gloomy heavens reflected in her eyes, she said to herself: “Wouldn’t it be nice if my life were to change for the better?” Before she could control herself, her eyes welled up with tears and she broke down, unable to hold back her emotions.

Then, amidst the spatter of dripping water, there was the sound of approaching footsteps. When Meinwen looked up, she saw a dark-haired girl, in her late teens, standing in front of her.

“Are you all right?” the girl asked. Meinwen did not answer. She was more focused on the girl’s sudden appearance.

“Hey, do you want anything?” the girl asked again. Meinwen hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

“Water." She told her. Her voice was hoarse and barely audible from her thirst, but the girl seemed to have heard her.

“Wait." She said, before running into a nearby shop. Seconds later, she came out again, holding a bottle of water. Meinwen quickly took the bottle and drank the water. She felt the cool liquid flowing down her throat, immediately quenching her thirst. After finishing the water in three great gulps, she set down the bottle and turned towards the girl.

“Thank you." She said gratefully. “I was desperate for that."

“Oh, no problem." The girl answered. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Meinwen”. Meinwen managed to say.

The girl smiled. “Hi. I’m Shera. Shera Zadoe. I work at the marketplace nearby."

Meinwen returned her smile. “It’s nice to know you." She said, beaming slightly.

Shera looked at Meinwen, examining her from top to bottom. “Good heavens, look in that state you’re in!” she exclaimed. “Oh, poor thing…you must be hungry! You really need something to eat."

“Well, I…” Meinwen began, but Shera pulled her up.

“C’mon, I’m not letting anyone starve." She interrupted, and ran across the street, taking Meinwen with her.

“W-where are we going?” Meinwen asked.

Shera flashed her a grin. “My house, of course!”

~*~
It was actually the first time Meinwen had ever set foot in someone else’s house. Shera’s house wasn’t really big and in a rather messy condition, but to Meinwen, it was warm and cosy. As soon as Shera swung open the door, Meinwen quickly leapt onto one of the sofas in the living room. Shera smiled.

“You must be very cold." She said. “All right then, I’ll make something warm for you…oh, please excuse the mess!” she added, as Meinwen accidentally trod onto a fallen lamp.

Shera lit the fireplace. “Make yourself at home!” she told Meinwen, before heading towards the kitchen. Meinwen watched her go for a while, then started to explore around the living room.

As she held up a photo frame, there were footsteps and Shera hurried out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl of hot soup.

“Here you go," she said, placing the bowl on the table and handing Meinwen a spoon, “eat up!”

Meinwen sniffed. “What’s this?” she asked curiously.

“Don’t worry, it’s just mushroom soup." Shera said, with a grin. “Don’t think that I’m going to poison you! Now go on and eat, before it gets cold."

Meinwen drank the soup eagerly. She could not help gobbling. In less than four minutes, she had finished the soup. Shera’s eyes widened.

“You haven’t eaten for days, haven’t you?” she guessed.

“Yup." Meinwen nodded.

Shera handed Meinwen a napkin. “Here, wipe your mouth."

Meinwen did as she was told. “Thanks”, she said shyly, “for the s-soup."

Shera waggled a finger. “Ah ah, don’t thank me yet!” she thrust a bundle of clothing into Meinwen’s arms, “go and change, you’re soaking wet! The bathroom’s next to the kitchen, you can find it."

~*~
After changing into dry, freshly-ironed clothes, Meinwen headed towards the living room. Shera was sitting on a cushion, rocking to and fro.

“So, Meinwen," she said, while Meinwen sat onto the sofa, “where do you come from?”

“Umm…from St. Anna’s." Meinwen replied softly.

“St. Anna’s? That means you’re…” Shera started.

Meinwen nodded solemnly. Shera bit her nail.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know." She said. “Erm…” she looked around the living room, as if searching for something.

“No, it’s all right. You live here alone?” Meinwen asked.

Shera turned towards her. “Yup." She replied. “My parents died in a car accident when I was ten. I had to stop schooling and start working to earn a living”.

Meinwen’s ears twitched. “You mean, you are…?”

“Yes, I’m just like you," Shera told her, “I was so depressed after that incident, but I was overwhelmed by this urge…this urge to continue living…” her eyes seemed to shine with radiance, “…and here I am”.

“It must be tough." Meinwen said. Shera nodded in agreeement.

“It was at first, but I got used to it." She said, recalling her memories. “Ooops…I’m sorry," she added hastily, “I was being hypocritical. I can be like that sometimes."

Meinwen’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re a liar?”

“Hypocritical’s a better word." Shera joked.

“How can you get used to all of this?” Meinwen asked. “It must be really hard…usually people can’t cope with this type of event!”

Shera paused for a moment, and shook her head before saying: “You know, Meinwen, you have a lot of things to learn about life."

“Huh?” Meinwen was evidently confused. Shera sighed and walked towards a cabinet at the corner of the living room. Out of the cabinet, she took out a large object that looked like a banjo.

“What’s that?” Meinwen asked.

“It’s called a mandolin”, Shera told her, “I play this in my free time. It’s easy to learn”.

She strummed a few chords, then began to sing:

“The day is light and bouncy with balloons,
They soar high and disappear at twilight.
Little children enter their dreamlands above the moon,
Happy to see their smiles etched on the world.

When she had finished, Meinwen clapped. “That was nice!” she commented.

“Are you serious?” Shera snorted. “It’s the worst thing I’ve ever heard!”

“No, it isn’t! Don’t be harsh about yourself!” Meinwen said.

Shera sighed. “All right, fine, if you say it’s nice, it’s nice then."

She turned away for a moment, then continued: “Well, Meinwen, if you’re from St. Anna’s Orphanage, then why were you on the street?”

“I ran away." Meinwen answered.

“Why?” Shera was taken aback.

Meinwen bit her lip. “I hate that place."

“Do you want to tell me why?” Shera asked, blinking.

It was the sentence Meinwen had been waiting to hear. She poured her heart out to Shera, a current of emotions spilling out in words. She told her everything she had been hiding away from others, waiting for the right person to come by and listen to her deepest secrets. When she heard Shera’s question, she knew Shera was that particular person.

When she finished, Shera was looking at her, a dreary expression on her face.

“I know you can’t stand the orphanage, Meinwen”, She said, trying to regain herself, “but you need to go back. It’s the only shelter you have”.

“No!” Meinwen sulked. “It’s impossible! I’m not going back to that torture chamber."

Shera paused, then grinned. “All right, what about if I accompany you?”

“Still, no." Meinwen snapped.

“OK, Meinwen, what about if I give you this?” Shera held up her mandolin.

Meinwen looked horrified. “No, I can’t! That’s yours!”

“I know, but I want you to keep it," Shera said, her grin broadening, “you’ll be able to remember me, then. I’ll be moving to Romania tomorrow, so that’s all you can have."

“Moving?” Meinwen gaped at her.

“Yes. My grandmother lives there, so I’ll be staying with her." Shera told her. “So, Meinwen, do you want the mandolin?”

Meinwen exhaled. “Oh…all right."

Shera gave her the mandolin. “It’s yours now." She said, her brown eyes twinkling.

Meinwen plucked the strings on the mandolin, and nodded sadly before following Shera out of the door. It was time to go back.

~*~
Twang twang.

Meinwen sat near the ledge of her window, strumming her mandolin. A month had passed since she had met Shera. She missed Shera terribly, as she was the only person who had shown true kindness to her. However, she was quite happy with her life now at St. Anna’s Orphanage, for the bullying incidents had suddenly stopped, and she had also made some new friends. She watched two robins fly past her window and into the blue sky, then began to hum a melody.

As she did, the door suddenly opened. Two of Meinwen’s roommates, Alexi and Sharon, walked in.

“Hi, Meinwen." Sharon greeted her.

“Hi." Meinwen grinned.

“We heard you singing." Alexi said, her eyes big. “Can you sing again?”

Meinwen turned red. “Oh, no, it’s…”

“Please?” her two roommates pleaded.

Meinwen let out a sigh. “Fine." She said, and began to strum the mandolin.