Eunice – Yan Xiao - #0505020239

Even now, the whistling of the wind around the house, the crackling of the rain slapping against the window, and tableaus of a tree chopped by thunder, a bleeding finger, and two children huddling in a corner, weeping, still often flash through my mind, like a nightmare, making me tremble with fear.

It is a story that dates back to the year when I was nine.

It was a cloudy day in a hot dry summer. As it was Saturday, we didn’t need to go to school. After having lunch, I went to an intimate friend’s home which was not far from mine. She was happy to see me because she was left alone at home. Immediately we began to play games. I was so totally absorbed in our games that I forgot the time. Suddenly, we heard the crackling from the window that was lapped by the rain.

“Oh, it’s raining. I have to go back home.” I cried.

“Don’t worry. It’s bound to end soon as rain in summer comes fast and goes faster. Wait until it stops.” My friend comforted me.

We went on playing but the rain didn’t seem to have the tendency to stop. Rain and wind became more and more fierce as if they were the prelude to a storm. Soon it began to rain cats and dogs and the wind mounted to a roar. We felt scared, not knowing what to do. Then I found that the window was not closed so the floor was doused. Realizing this, we rushed to close the window. Just when we were about to close it, a piece of broken glass was blown into the room. With a crash of the breaking glass, my friend’s finger was cut. Blood gushed out! Then all of a sudden, lightning struck, followed by a clap of thunder. A thick towering tree snapped right as the sound of the exploding thunder was heard outside the window. I was scared to death. I feared that my friend would die as her bleeding wouldn’t stop.

Not knowing what to do, we huddled in the corner of the room, as if marooned by the world, mortally afraid.

Outside, it was as dark as dusk. The lightning flashed. The thunder crashed. The rain was beating on the window, like a forceful fist, and the crack became louder and louder. The wind roared like a furious lion. The house seemed to be shaking. All these noises struck terror into our hearts.

“I miss my parents.” My friend wept, on the verge of panic.

“Don’t be afraid. We’ll be OK. I am with you.” Patting her shoulder, I comforted her with outward calm. Being older, I should take care of her. However, to be frank, I was no less frightened than her. I feared that I had no chance to see my parents again. I began to regret how rudely I had treated them sometimes. Tears gradually emerged from my eyes as my behaviors of the past that had broken my parents’ heart were brought back to my mind.

Silent, and both deep in thought, we just cowered in the corner. Waiting seemed endless. After a period that felt like a century to us, the storm finally diminished. At that moment, our parents rushed in. Both of us began to cry loudly. I had the impulse to embrace my parents and I felt I loved them more than ever before.

Though, frequently harassing me like a nightmare, the storm really taught me a lesson. Usually, most of us don’t care about what we have. We take them for granted. After the storm, however, I learnt something different. Not until the storm did I realize that we should cherish what we have and love the people around us for we can never predict what will happen to them or to us in the following minutes. As some lyrics express: “There are some things that can never be regained if missed.” Don’t wait to regret after you have lost them. It’s useless to cry over spilt milk.