The Little Cloud That Followed Esme

It is the hottest week of the summer. The grass is yellow, and the river is low. Esme has a small garden at the edge of town. Today she goes there with a heavy bucket.

Her tomatoes are sad. Their leaves are soft and tired. Esme pours water on each plant. The water goes into the dry ground in two seconds.

"Please grow," she says. "Just a little more."

She sits on a box and wipes her face. Then she sees something strange. Above her head, there is a small white cloud. It is not big. It is the size of a bed.

"Hello, cloud," says Esme. She wants someone to talk to.

The cloud does not say anything. Of course not. But it moves a little closer.

She stands up. She picks up her bucket and walks to the beans. The cloud follows her. She walks to the carrots. The cloud follows her again, slowly, like a dog.

Esme stops. "You follow me," she says.

A drop of water falls on her nose. Then another. Then it starts to rain, softly. It rains only on Esme. The rain falls on her hat and her shoes. It falls on the plants around her. Past her feet, the ground is dry and hot.

She looks at her tomatoes. They stand up a little, as if they drink. Esme laughs loudly. She takes off her hat. She puts her face up to the rain.

An old man from the next garden looks over. He holds a hose in his hand. "Do you see that?" he asks.

"Yes," says Esme.

"It is only over your plants."

"I know," says Esme.

The old man looks at his dry beans. He looks at the cloud. Then he looks at Esme. "Does it listen to you?" he asks.

"I do not know," she says. "Let me try." She walks across the garden to the old man's side. The cloud floats after her. The rain falls on his dry beans. They shine in the light.

The old man says nothing for a long time. Then he takes off his cap. "Thank you, young lady," he says.

"Thank the cloud," says Esme.

On the first day, Esme tells nobody. On the second day, the whole street knows.

For three days, the cloud follows her. It goes to the garden in the morning. It waits near the gate. It sits over the bus stop. The people there stay cool in its shade. When Esme goes shopping, the cloud floats above the market.

On the fourth day, Esme goes to the garden early. The cloud is not there. The sky is empty and hard and blue.

She looks up for a long time. Then she sees a line of dark clouds far away. They are big, and they move toward the town. The wind smells of water.

Esme climbs on her box and waves. "Go home!" she shouts. "Your friends are here!"

The small cloud floats up to the hills. It looks gray and tired. It touches the big clouds, and then it is gone.

An hour later, the big rain comes. It falls on the roofs and the streets. It falls on the old man's beans. Esme stands in her garden with her arms open. Her tomatoes drink.