Cloudy Talks

Beauty matters, you know! But it is not that easy, when you are pregnant. No matter how much I try to keep track of my eating, it’s like every bit of water I drink, even the air I breathe, sticks on me. I feel like a balloon, inflating to death!

By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. But the weight is a serious problem, you know. I don’t want you to get a wrong image of myself. That’s why I plunged into the things that veil my real identity. Nowadays, it is not easy to represent yourself as you really are! There is so much pollution around.

Speaking of pollution, even the pollution adds to my weight; can you imagine? The dust particles in the air easily collect the little drops of water, and when I eat them, it feels like eating olives with the seeds. But what can I do? I am pregnant.

Pregnant, pregnant! Oh, I am so sorry. I said I am going to introduce myself, and got dragged into my personal issues. So funny it must be to watch me. A person who cannot even introduce herself, despite telling legends! By the way, I must admit that you are a legend, too. Listening to me talk like this is a legendary work. Not everybody can do it. So, in order not to bother others much, I try to visit lots of friends and stay short with each one. That way, they don’t get bored of me. Out of their hospitality, and also to shut my mouth, they serve me a lot to eat. By the end of the day, I find myself fluffy as can get. But still, I can give up neither talking nor my friends! Poor pregnant cloud, poor Cumulus!

So, now you know my name. Cumulus, it is. I have a friend who is thin and tall. She is just gorgeous. I admire her, but she admires me; can you believe? Every time I complain of my weight and about my looks, she tries to console me by whining about her problems. She tells that she is not going to live a long life as me, and that she is never going to have children. Then, I say that even my name sounds chubby: Cumulus! But hers? Hers just slips into the ear: Contrail. About that, she says that I am a reliable cloud, but about herself, she complains about the convulsions she has inside. Sometimes, I complain about the steadiness of my surroundings. Then she invites me to consider her case as an artificial cloud  that is born to be in exile, whereas I am born naturally and is at home.

If nothing else, I am thankful for having a friend like Contrail. She is like a rope descending from heavens for me to cling to in my times of distress. Even if she lives a short life, eventually we are going to meet under the earth.

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Cumulus clouds are the precursors of rain clouds. Over time, they collect more humidity and finally yield precipitation. Contrails are the turbulent air flow zones behind the aircraft. Due to the thermodynamic conditions in them, the water vapor in the air condenses to form long and thin clouds, hence the name CONdensation TRAIL.