I press my nose against the cool glass pane as the engine rumbles to a start. The padded leather seat gently vibrates as Daddy backs out of the driveway and into the twilight. It is darker this evening, grayer even. A still, ominous silence settles over the countryside. The dim light of streetlamps flood the winding road in a thick yellow fog. I close my eyes. My body is warm from the blowing heat that fills the car with a stagnant, suffocating comfort. My cheek is cool from the brisk December air that is seeping through the window. The radio is not playing tonight. All that can be heard is the droning of the engine, a soft lull miced with natures lullaby. It is easy to dream on a night like tonight. This is the best kind of rest.

Plink! Plink! My eyelids flutter open. I lift my head and rub my eyes. Glancing out the window, I hear out one of natures most melodious symphonies-- the begginings of a rainstorm. Tiny droplets of water scatter on the window pane. A thin mist blurs the landscape. It is like riding through a watercolor masterpiece. Colors fade as raindrops tap on the window, begging me to let them in. My senses dulled by the damp air, I reach for the handle on the side of the door and let the window down just a little. I sink back into the seat and taste the air. The suffocating heat gives way to the smells of earth and sky combined. As the mist sprays my face, I reflect on the beauty of life. Scenes of sorrow and joy pass before my eyes with the darkness outside my window. Time seems to stand still.

The rain gets harder, and pours down in gusts, splashing through the crack in the window. Each drop seems to have its own personality, wiggling its way eagerly down the side of the car. Water seeps into the seat and dampens the hand that rests there. I roll the window back up. The steady "shhhh" gets louder and louder, rain now pounding on the roof. The car dodges through the gathering puddles, sloshing water everywhere. Excitement builds inside me. I feel more alive than ever. The wind crashes into the windshield, creating a turbulent, watery wonderland. The blinding rain drops a curtain of gray in front of us, the headlights barely penetrating its satiny veil. Waves roll with torrential aggression, forcing the car off the road. Daddy stops the car, turning the key in the ignition.

I sit there, spellbound by the rain pounding our car in pellets, until I can no longer resist. Before Daddy can stop me, I fling open the door and step our into the melting sunshine. I spread out my arms and spin around, laughing as I drink in the freshness. Water rushes through the ditches, roaring praises for God's downpour of love, My clothes are soaked through and my hair hangs in heavy clups down my back. But I run through the countryside, filled with uncontainable joy. I can't see where I'm going, but in this rainstorm, I am loosed of all chains-- alive in a shower of absolute freedom.