it was a humid april day
and the rain came down in a fine mist
not enough water to get soaked with
but just enough of a spray to fell the dampness
and the wetness on your cheeks and forehead.

meghan bowed her head as she approached the corner
and once at hanlon place she looked both ways
and made a dash to cross the boulevard

this was a busy intersection and the 13 year old knew
she would get a verbal licking from her father if he
found out she had crossed the boulevard and gone into that
part of town without her
older brother ted.

she got to the other side and stuck her hands deeper
into her plastic green raincoat.

she liked this raincoat
it was her favorite color
and today showed off her red hair as it lay plastered against
her cheeks the rain having done the job that it was
meant to do and that was to show off to the world
what a wonderful creature this was even if she was
a little soggy at the moment.

she was tall for her age five feet four inches
and slim but she had all the curves in the right places

she could pass for 15 and that was the main reason
why timothy flaherty didn't want his daughter crossing
over to hanlon place because that was where o'neil's pub was
and it was too rowdy for the likes of a young girl to travel
alone even if it was daylight.

it was what was characterized as the wrong side of town.

Meghan was on her way to celia's house as the two were
supposed to practice for a piece in the choral group.

they were making up their own song
and meghan played the tune in her head
as she hurried along the street filled with blooming
lilacs.

it was late april and everything was beginning to be filled
with colors.

meghan reasoned the rain was good
because it watered the flowers
so she didn't see anything wrong with the weather
in fact she liked the rain

and she stuck her tongue out to see if any drops would
find their way to her pink tongue which darted in and out
of her mouth.

she liked her lips
and squinted up at the sky
not a cloud could be seen but yet the fine mist kept
falling.

she sang out loud.

i'm just a colorful flower in the path of an angel
crying his first tears,
because everyone in irish town knew that when it misted
it was an angel having a tantrum because he didn't get
his way with the higher ups.

the angel was probably assigned some task that she thought
was beneath her start qualities.

meghan's mind started dancing and she imagined all kind of
things that could make an angel cry.

she blinked her eyes and was in front of 973 hanlon street
right smack in front of celia's house.

"i'm here already she murmured to herself."

"yes, you are said celia,"
and a young girl of 15 ran down the red brick steps to meet her friend Meghan.

"meghan, meghan, you came."

"of course I came," replied meghan, I told you i'd be here."

"yes, but it's raining."

"well, it's not really raining celia, it's misting."

"that's true said celia, you always do find the right thing to say."

"you betcha said meghan."

the two girls looked at each other and smiled.
one tall and slim that was meghan

and celia who was black and had big brown eyes
and stood five four and had shoulder length brown hair.