They all looked the same. Several individuals huddled together and buried themselves beneath a sea of umbrellas. Like the people, their umbrellas were the same yet different: they were all round and wide open and wet from the rain, but their colors and sizes varied greatly. Little schoolchildren carried colorful, compact umbrellas, with hues ranging from navy blue and ruby red to plain yellow and white with black polka dots. Adults carried larger and more serious umbrellas, opting for more neutral shades like charcoal black or shiny silver. And then there were those who preferred to keep their hands free and resorted to raincoats and ponchos instead, their clothes visible through the transparent cloth.

The most unfortunate ones had no shields. A couple of women hurried down the street and took shelter under a bookstore's canopy. Middle-aged men dressed in rags and worn-out clothes covered their heads with their hands or hid under the nearest roof. And those that had no time to wait for the rain to end? They waved down a cab, or ran in the rain, or boarded whatever bus was available. They would rather be wet than late.

People strolled down the streets and seldom stopped. From afar, they were not too dissimilar, but up close they were otherwise. The children scanned the pavement for puddles, hopping and splashing into any puddle they encountered. Some of them were rebuked harshly by their parents, being grabbed by the ear and then told "You might slip!" Teenagers were not as playful. They ambled with an umbrella in one hand and a phone or coffee cup in the other. Some had headphones hanging from their necks, others wore them on their heads, and the rest kept them carefully in their backpacks or tote bags. Many of them walked in small groups, chatting loudly over the pitter-patter of the rain.

And then the adults - the most mixed group. You had the more serious bunch, wearing long coats over their dress shirts and blouses. Their shoes made clinking sounds as they stepped on the pavement, blending nicely with nature's background noise. Most of them kept their mouths shut unless they received a phone call. The younger adults acted more like the teenagers, conversing as they strolled, but their clothes were more mature. Women ditched miniskirts and denim shorts for long jeans and slacks and preferred sweaters and t-shirts over tank tops and crop tops. The men did away with sports shorts and hoodies, opting for jeans or trousers with button-front shirts or t-shirts.

The elderly were a rare sight, often appearing as individuals rather than part of a group. Their footsteps were small, and they strolled slowly, almost staggering. Compared to others around them they moved very little, standing more often than not and sitting on whatever dry surface there was. Beige and other shades of brown were commonly worn by them, and the old ladies adorned themselves with pale hues like bright blue, pastel pink, vivid violet, and soft red. They were not the ones who would like to talk, but they liked to listen. Listen to children giggling and babbling. Listen to teenagers chortling and gossiping. Listen to adults speaking only briefly. And lastly, listen to nature - raindrops fell and made sounds akin to beating small drums.

The grey clouds and the dark drey skies began to clear as a blue palette emerged above. Bit by bit, golden sunlight pierced through the dark and dull curtain and brightened the crowd. One by one, they folded their umbrellas and took off their raincoats. They came out of hiding from underneath their roofs.

The crowd dispersed.