Rain

Rain

My mother named me after all the shit in her life. Rain, that’s what she called the troubled times. I was just another splash of a long storm. Three days after I was born she killed herself, leaving me to an aunt and her lover.

I say lover only because I can’t say wife, seeing as homosexual marriages aren’t legal. My mom had explained my name to my aunt before she committed, saying she hoped that one day I’d realize rain came a lot in life, and when there is sun, I should be grateful. I was just a baby but that’s when the first storm started.

Aunt Lisa hadn’t planned on kids, she said “I don’t want to put any child through that hate we get for being gay. It wouldn’t be fair.” Aunt Jessie, however had tried to convince her to have some, and when I came Aunt Lisa couldn’t say no, I was the only blood family of hers left. So I was cared for by my mother’s sister’s girlfriend. Aunt Jessie, A.J as I call her, is a very feminine person but strong too. Aunt Lisa let A.J adopt me after A.J fought for days refusing to sleep or eat. I was being raised in a gay household, and it’s a good thing that I was a very quiet child. It made it just a little bit easier for my aunts.

By the time I entered kindergarten I could do my ABC’s and count and add. Aunt Lisa gave me everything any child could need, while A.J gave me everything I could want. So in a way I got the best of both worlds.

Aunt Jessie was a writer for a newspaper, but she said “All children need to learn as much as they can.” She’s the one who taught me the most. By kindergarten’s end I was reading at a grade three level, and doing the same in math. They began to home school me, “to keep me away from the hate in the world.” They said. The thing is I never saw that much hate towards me because of what they are.

I spent all of my time with Aunt Jessie and Aunty Lisa. We lived in the better side of town, but there weren’t many children just a lot of business men and rich gang guys, who made their money from drugs.

I remember I was a bout ten-years old and Aunt Lisa was at work. A.J had said she needed to go do an interview and she’d be back soon. So she left me at the house with a movie and the remote control. Usually she came back before the movie ended but two hours later Aunt Jessie still wasn’t back. This had to be the longest interview she’d ever done, what could be that interesting? I wondered.

Then another hour passed still no Aunt Jessie. I was scared, because Aunt Lisa didn’t like to leave me home alone and she’d be home soon herself. Where was A.J? Didn’t she know Aunt Lisa would be home soon, and if I was here but Jessie wasn’t Aunt Lisa would be angry for days.

Then I heard a car pull up and the front door opening. Oh no! Aunt Lisa was back. She said her usual house greeting “Honey, I’m home.” You know like they used to do in the old sitcom families when the husband came home from work.

“Hi, Aunt Lisa.” I said like I always do. Hoping she wouldn’t notice there wasn’t a response from A.J but knowing she would.

“Where’s your aunt baby?” She asked giving me a hug. I loved her hugs, she always smelled of cucumber melon body spray. I shrugged for a response, and she knew it meant that Aunt Jessie wasn’t home. “Did she say where she was going?”

“To an interview, she said she’d be back before Cinderella was over. But the movie ended a couple hours ago. Don’t be mad at her aunty, please. She’ll be home soon.” I don’t like it when they fight, because I don’t want them to split up. Some of my kindergarten friends had divorced parents and it sounded horrible not being able to have both parents tuck you in at night. My aunties tucked me in every night and sang me a song. I didn’t want to lose that.

Another hour passed and Aunt Jessie still wasn’t home. “Aunty Lisa? Do you want me to call for a pizza?” She was in her study pretending to work. But I knew better it scared her when A.J wasn’t home at night. We may live in high society area of town, but it wasn’t that safe. Many times our house had had mean things written and painted on it. Aunty Lisa called them threats, and derogatory remarks, but she told me not to worry that nothing would happen to me. That she’d die before anything happened to me. I don’t know why but I believed her.

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“Sure baby. If that’s what you want to eat. I’m not hungry. Maybe I’ll eat when aunt Jessie gets home.” What she didn’t tell me then was she was scared aunt Jessie wasn’t coming home. That she was worried something bad had happened.

I ordered the pizza just cheese, but lots of it, that’s what I always ordered. Then when I was done ordering and I’d hung up, the phone rang. “I’ll answer it!” I yell to aunt Lisa. I wish I hadn’t, because it was the hospital.

“Hello?” I said wondering who it was.

They responded with “Hello is this the home of Jessie R. Celestal?” I nodded forgetting that the person on the other end of the phone couldn’t hear me.

“Yes. May I help you with something?” I answered.

“Honey, is there and adult home?” I called for Aunty Lisa to answer the phone, and she did from her office. I hung up like I should then I walked to her office at the other end of the house. Standing at the door I watched as her face broke. What was worry now seemed to be pure sorrow.

“Aunty Lisa? What’s wrong? What’s happened to Aunty Jessie?” she hung up the phone telling the person on it she’d be right there.

“Come here angel.” she said opening her arms. I did and she pulled me up onto her lap. “Aunty Jessie was attacked, and she is in the hospital. She wants to see you. So we’re gonna go get her okay?” again I just nodded.

My aunt carried me to the car grabbing my “quiet toy” bag on the way. Yes, I know what you’re thinking ‘The kid has a “quiet toy” bag. What the hell?’ but in truth is just has a game boy, a book and a notebook and pen. Toys which I could use while with aunt Jessie at interviews. That’s when I knew that if we needed that bag we’d be away from the house a while.

“Why would anyone hurt Aunt Jessie?” I asked, but I looked at aunt Lisa and I knew. Because she was gay. The rest of the twenty-minute ride to the hospital was in silence; no radio, no talking, the sound of our breath was even quieter than normal.

When we got to the hospital it was quiet, but not as quiet as the car ride there. Aunt Lisa took my hand and together we flew into the emergency room. At the admittance desk Aunty Lisa asked the nurse where we could find A.J. Then the nurse had the nerve to ask if we were family.

“She is.” Responded Aunt Lisa holding up my hand. “and I’m her other legal guardian so I will be staying with her.”

The nurse didn’t seem too happy about the way Aunt Lisa said this. Pursing her lips the nurse said she was going to go get the admitting doctor, and she bustled away. We waited, and soon enough the nurse came back with a tall, short haired, redheaded women. “I’m Dr. Lewis.” she said smiling. “Your aunty,” she looked at me “was attacked earlier today. Do you want to see her?” I nodded. Turning to address Aunt Lisa she said, “You’ll have to stay here miss.”

“No, I will be going with my niece.” Replied Aunt Lisa firmly.

“She’s coming with me.” I said to the doctor. And upon that Doctor Lewis said nothing else, she just led us to a small room that Aunt Jessie was in. “Aunt Jessie?” I asked, I wasn’t sure. Her face was bruised and cut and her arms were all black and blue too.

But she smiled, well winced, and said. “Yeah, Rain, it’s me baby.” I ran up and hugged her.

Aunt Lisa stood behind me tears were streaming down her face but still she made no noise. The doctor was behind her. “As soon as you’re ready Rain, you can take your aunty home.”

I looked at Aunt Jessie, and she nodded, as if to say “I’m ready baby girl.” So I told the doctor we were ready. We signed papers, and we left the hospital. The doctor said something about stopping by the next day to check on aunt Jessie. But none of us really remembered when or why. Aunt Jessie was home, she was alive, and she hadn’t left us. That’s all that really mattered.