I came with the rainJuly 11, 2016

I could see Bristol Channel from where I lived, and how the sunset would turn Topsham into a magical realm. I might be exaggerating after reading too many books on Arthurian romance. My tutor was impressed at my enthusiasm on this subject, even asking me why I haven't considered studying old manuscripts next term. I was jealous of my housemate, who decided to put his gap year to good use. He would risk humidity and possible mosquito bites, as he explored Indochina on a motorcycle. I chose to stay in this part of Devon, as I was hooked to it as long as I could remember. I wasn't referring to the sea. Nothing would beat the real thing.

I was fortunate to witness the rain during my first visit to Dartmoor. I thought this moorland was dull as dishwater on a sunny day. The dark sky would remind me of the coursework last year. I wouldn't be Heathcliff in black jeans, as I was looking for my Juliet to dance with. But it reminded me of a not-so-old French film that my tutor recommended to me. Rainfall could be the cure to writer's block, and in this writer's case, she thought of a mysterious stranger who became her mysterious guest in her villa. It turned out to be his lover's stepdaughter. (Long story.) "Wuthering Heights" wouldn't be the only literary work that depicted the bad weather, of how it could mirror the depths of a tormented soul. Heathcliff did scare some readers, while I didn't notice how I shivered from the damp coldness.

There would be other writings that came to mind later. I wouldn't recommend it, as only serious readers could grasp the significance of a soggy landscape under darkened clouds. I have to read these works after I was done with it, as this was the only way to look at the rainfall differently. I wouldn't urge anyone to get wet. Better find a cozy place, and open a book. Let me cite five:

Bleak House. "The deer, looking soaked, leave quagmires where they pass," the (omnipresent) narrator describing a memorable Dickens tale. It could be the place not far from Dartmoor, which I seek warmth (after getting wet).

Far from the Madding Crowd. Bathsheba's wedding coincided with a downpour. And she was about to say her vows with Sergeant Troy. Could it be a bad omen? Gabriel Oak seemed to be the only one who sensed it.

Great Expectations. "Violent blasts of rain had accompanied these rages of wind, and the day just closed as I sat down to read had been the worst of all," Pip rued on this dark and stormy night. I thought the passage hinted Estella's return. It turned out that I had an odd way of looking at things, as it would refer to Magwitch.

Jane Eyre. I wondered why Charlotte BrontÃ« would write about a storm disrupting a romantic moment between Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. It might be the elements warning the young lady about Mr. Rochester's past. This honeymoon phase would be followed by a stern test. It could make the her love him more.

King Lear. Precipitation didn't turn King Lear into a madman, but it would be a metaphor of his torn feelings towards his three daughters. And what power could do if left unchecked. It reminded me of the lightning, and the Bard may have thought of the same thing.

Rainfall would be followed by the rainbow, but I wouldn't be thinking of Modern literature. As I said before, I was hooked to the moorland and the seaside.

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