The typhoon crept up from the south, stepping into Shizuoka, creating an upheaval and downpours in the nearby regions, and bringing the names of Hamamatsu cities, Nara and Wakayama prefectures into the headlines. The ugly scenes of water reaching an obscene height, displacing people into higher grounds for evacuation, filled the news for the past week. Its insatiable hunger for more, despite having displaced tens of thousands of people and households, brought it further north, making itself a national nuisance and public enemy.

And then it came. The previous day ended with incessant rain from the evening. D-day kicked off with raindrops smashing onto glass panels and windows. I was jotted awake by the curiously loud pitter-pattering sound crashing onto my house windows. I peered out of the curtains just to catch the menacing smile through the shards of rain sheets tearing through the atmosphere. I returned to bed, knowing that the rain would not subside for a long time.

I sat at my desk, listening to the heavy metal orchestra creating ruido behind the walls. The occasional decrescendos gave me a glimpse of hope of getting out of my room to get something to eat, but those were promptly followed by crescendos and stacattos and fortissimos. Time flew by, as if being chased by the rain, and it was time for me to go for part-time work at a restaurant. Lethargically, I peeled myself off the chair and changed into casual clothes, grabbed an umbrella and off I went.

The sheets of rain threatened to tear my body apart as I was stranded under the shelter, mustering courage and dexterity to challenge it. I whipped out my umbrella and wielded it against the rain as I bravely took a step out. It was a mere ten odd steps that I had taken, before the winds spotted my vulnerability and delivered a few quick blows. Overwhelmed by the sheer strength of it, I raised my shield to reduce the damage, but unfortunately, the winds showed no mercy. I watched in horror as my umbrella took a bend in the wrong direction, and then twisted into a different shape. Within seconds, my umbrella was unrecognizable as an umbrella anymore, but there was no time for sympathy as I twisted it back so that it could still function as one.

I reached my restaurant, drenched and wretched, as the winds continued blowing leaves off trees, covers off rubbish bins, as random items flew past the entrance of our restaurant. The day started off with a surprise, as Kimura Kaela, together with 3 of her friends/ staff, came to our restaurant! What a huge surprise. I did not notice who she was, and went forth normally to take their orders. And then the other staff were speculating about it. After which, I found out she was left-handed (which increased the possibility because Kimura Kaela is left-handed). And they started talking about album release and our suspicions were confirmed.

Watching the typhoon racing off to the north, bringing in its arms the clumps of dirt in the air, I woke up to an unusually bright and sunny morning. The day after a typhoon probably has the cleanest air of the year, after being cleansed by rain and wind. And with the departure of the typhoon, arrives the season of autumn- my favourite season of the year!

And this is why I love Autumns: https://dennischia.com/2010/12/03/autumn-a-long-sunday-afternoon/