<!– @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -It was a rainy day here in Ho Chi Minh City. It was not a usual rainy day. It showered heavier and longer than usual. Many children were playing on the rain because it was refreshing, while others stayed home and looked out their windows. Their faces frowned. I stayed home. I was just one of the people who stayed home during the storm. After a while, the pouring got even heavier and everybody ran home. It was raining cats and dogs. There was not a single soul out on the street. It looked like a tropical monsoon. I was a very pessimistic child, and I thought I was going to die. My parents always hated me for being such a pessimist. They would always complain and get angry at me.

The water canals got clogged with all the trash on the street and the water level began to rise. It was rising at incredible speed.

“Bring the TV up to the top floor!” my dad shouted.

So my parents brought up the TV and I just took some of my Gameboys up. The water level now reached my knee.

“Get up here,” my mom commanded.

The whole family went up to the roof, but it was quite a challenge because our roof was triangular. I saw people walk around the street and suddenly just sink in. Somehow, a picture came into my mind and I remembered the lake there, where my grandparents used to take me. We lived at the end of the neighborhood next to a huge park. It was a beautiful park and it had a small lake. I used to go fishing and sometimes even swim in the lake.

“Good job, boy,” my grandfather would always say when I catch a fish.

“Thank you, grandpa,” would be my response.

I would always get a warm hug from my grandpa next to the lake. I would try to catch butterflies and trap them in a bottle. My grandpa would always say:

“Let it be free, how would you feel if I trapped you in that bottle?”

I would always let it go.

The water now reached the second floor and even the tallest person in the world would not be able to stand. A butterfly appeared in front of me and I, like always, would have tried to catch it. I slipped and saw my mother and father jump down with me on the way down. I closed my eyes and then felt an unbearable back pain. I landed on something very hard. As I was unconscious, I heard sirens and some motion. I would open my eyes a little and I saw people dressed in white carrying me somewhere.

“ Are you okay? Speak to me! SPEAK TO ME!” my mom shouted.

“It’s my fault, it’s all my fault! I should have held him tighter,” my dad said with depression.

I now regained my consciousness and woke up. My parents cried with joy. They were so happy that they couldn’t even talk. I saw a white roof and walls and realized that I’m in a hospital.