A Story of an Umbrella

I can feel the cool glass, watching the rain falling outside. I am all damp andwet from the storm, chilled from the beginning of my head, all over my metalbones, and even to the tip of my end.As I am being swayed back and forth by the gentle train, silently I turn to facemy best friend, my owner, an old grandpa about the age of 86.This old man had bought me, once upon a time, from a typical umbrella shop just around the corner, as he tells people. An old umbrella as I may look now, Iused to be young and new as well. I used to have young days when I wasshiny and filled with bright colors, but now, since I am old and worn out, myfabric is starting to become a darker shade than before and my metal bonesbecoming rusty and brown. Yes, my metal bones, I am an umbrella.With my whole body leaning against the cool glass, I cannot feel any warmthfrom the heater in the train, but I am warm with the feeling of me and myowner going on a trip. All these years since he had bought me, I had onlygone on trips to the nearby supermarket, his office or his child andgrandchildren’s houses.Remembering things from the past can make you quite tired. As I wasremembering these past years I started getting tired, as if I was beinghypnotized by something, and my eyelids started falling, my metal bonesbecoming relaxed. Then that was when I jumped up. We had arrived at yetanother station. This was the third station we have stopped at so far but Icannot get used to the squeaking sound of the train stopping. The train wasannouncing that the train was leaving the station. Starting to get relaxedagain, my eyes fell halfway.That was when he got up. My owner jumped up, grabbed his bags from aboveand ran out of the train. Within seconds the door closed behind him with asingle ringing sound. Ding Dong.It took me quite a while to know what was going on. It was at the forth stationafter my owner had left, that I had notice that he had left me. Quite amiserable umbrella, aren’t I? Left behind and forgotten by my owner.By the time I had noticed this terrible incident, an old couple had gone on thesame seat as my owner was sitting on. They had come on in the last station.They were about the age as my owner, around 80 years old.“My, I think somebody had forgotten their umbrella…”“Seems like an old one. Just leave it there.”I only heard bits of their conversation since my misery was chewing away atmy heart, making it hurt even more every second.“How old is he now again?”“Around 4 years I think. Can you believe that he is going to be a elementarystudent next year?”I was not taking any interest in what they were talking about, yet I knew theywere talking about their grandchild. My owner always talks like that whentalking about his.“I wonder how tall he is now…”“Scary. He grows up so fast…”I watch and listened to the old couple, their eyes and their mouths smiling,with their thin lines across their faces wrinkling from smiling a lot. Their happyfaces seem to lighten up the whole room, making my misery stop chewing at

my heart.Their voices seemed like lullabies lulling me to sleep. My heart still hurt buttheir happiness and their care for their grandchild made it numb.My heart, if I do have one, panged when they got off the train and I had aslight flash back to where my owner went of the same train. That was until Iheard a cry.It was a small girl crying at the corner near me. She was waving her hand likeit decided life or death.“Bye Mom! Bye Dad!”“Bye Honey!”“Don’t talk to strangers okay Linda?”So, this time it was a girl named Linda. Watching her cry and being separatedfrom her parents made me think we have something in common. A separationwith the ones we love. The difference between us is that for her it is only alittle while, where I may never.She had turned around and sat in a chair, still weeping with a red nose pokingout of her handkerchief. Where is she going? Starting to feel sympathetic toher, my heart started weeping for her instead. Oh please stop crying!A few minutes passed with her crying non-stop. Then like a baby after a fit,her cries softened into small sobs then into deep breaths. Her hand holdingthe now soaking wet handkerchief dropped down revealing her tired sleepingface.Some hour or so later, her eyes started opening and she looked up at thestation we had just arrived. She relaxed again and looked around. Maybe shestill has more stations to go. That was when she noticed me.“Oh my. Poor you. You got left behind?”Is she talking to me? “Well yes, by my owner, about ten stations before…” Iwanted to say. But I can’t speak, I can’t talk.“Ah, it’s still wet from the rain. Maybe the owner will come someday…”Someday. That felt like years away. Maybe I shall never be found again. Adevastating sensation ran through me. Linda will meet her parents againsomeday I bet, but what about me?“It’s already Satra station…”She was talking to herself. I knew. She was going to get off sooner or later.When will I ever get off? Would I be going off without my owner? As I hadthought, she went off the train a couple of stations later, being welcomed byher companions. When I thought the doors were to close again, a man around40 years old came running into the train at the last second. He was carrying agigantic “Toys’R’Us” bag with the tip of a wrapped present poking out.He didn’t even bother sitting down even though it was an empty train. He keptlooking at the bag again and again, a worried face, happy face then checkinghis watch again.RING“Hello? Yes, honey I am on my way but I am on the train so I have to go. Yes,I will be in time for Marline’s birthday cake. Ok, now bye!”This person was quick at speaking yet I understood every word that he said.Just like his words, his actions were quick as well. After only two stations, heran off just like the way he came in. Even though his actions were quick, thisman also left my heart feeling something.From then no people came on for a while. Just the time kept passing me by