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As always, it began with the rain.
It fell in fast drops around the house, making different noises as it hit various things around him. Things like the house itself, tricycles, the stone walkway, the bushes and the trees. The boy couldn't see beyond the trees –the rain was too thick and the sky too dark- but he knew that the rain was hitting the separate playroom building as well. Even from the front porch he could hear the rainwater falling out of the aluminum rectangles that lined the roof. It sounded like a small waterfall.
Thunder rumbled and a great gust of wind blew through the air. The boy ignored it. He wasn't afraid of things like this. Even when a bolt of lightning lit up the sky the boy paid it no heed. He was brave. He had to be brave.
But he was unhappy as well. And confused. Where was she? Why had she left? Had he done something to upset her? The boy wasn't sure. He had thought that they had been happy together. They would play together and eat together and she would tell him stories. Sometimes the other kids would try to take her away from him but he had always put up a good fought to keep her for himself. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. And when it didn't, she would never fail to remind him that sharing was the nicest thing he could ever do for people.
Was that why she had left, because he hadn't shared enough? He thought that he had. In fact, he thought that he had been a very good boy lately. He had been nice to everyone the past few days by sharing the toys and the tricycles and helping the scared kids on the jungle gym. He hadn't been mean or naughty or sulky. Hadn't that been enough?
No, he guessed not.
The storm went on and the boy continued to stare out into the darkness. He missed her so much. The other kids were trying their best to keep him happy but he didn't want them, he wanted her. He wanted her to come back and stay with him. He was lonely without her.
A tear trickled down his cheek and was quickly followed by two more. Soon the boy's face and over-sized orange shirt were a mess of them. He really was lonely. Miserable, too. Nothing made him happy anymore.
"Sis?" he whispered to himself, "Where are you, Sis?"
There was no answer but the continuing sound of the rain and the boy's sniffles. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. She wasn't going to answer him. He guessed he knew that now. He had been on this porch everyday waiting for her to come back and still, nothing. No sign of her.
"I'm…alone," he realized out loud. "I'm all alone now."
He was. The horrible pain he felt inside his tiny chest could only be loneliness.
The boy sniffled again. Well, that was okay. He was still going to take care of himself. He was still going to be a good boy for everyone, no matter what happened. He was going to be all right by himself.
He took a deep breath and then once again spoke out into the rain and darkness. "I miss you, Sis. But…but I'm gonna be okay without you. I'm gonna do my best and take care of myself. I promise I'll be fine. I'll make you proud of me again. Okay, Sis?"
Again, there was no answer. Just the rain…and the last feeling of loneliness…