April always sided with the underdog. When she was seven, she and her cousins formed a “labor” union and staged a strike for higher allowances. They had a picket line with placards and everything. The parents, amused at their ingenuity, gave in, and the young unionists won higher wages. This only encouraged them. 

We both ended up at University of Maryland. About 3 years into our friendship, she started to practice the Daishonin's Buddhism. She left her husband and got a small apartment near the university campus. She met a young man named Marc. 

Marc had begun his practice while living in the dorms at the University. To distract and annoy, his roommate, would throw paper airplanes at Marc when he tried to do Gongyo. One day Marc asked Raz (his roommate) “What would it take for you to start practicing?” Raz told Marc “If you become the Student Council President, I will consider practicing.” Marc ran for Student Council President and established the “Unity Party”. Their motto was “Throw the Rascals Out!” (It was an anti-incumbent movement.) Marc became the first Buddhist Student Council President and April was elected as a Student Council Representative. The next two presidents at the University of Maryland were also Nichiren Buddhists. 

One day April called and asked: “Can you make it rain by chanting?” I asked her why. She told me the students had found out that the local police had wiretaps on the dorm phones. They were angry that their private conversations were known to the police (some of whom were former high school acquaintances). The students had planned a protest march at 2 PM the next day. The local police had a reputation for wanton violence. Besides minorities, they especially loved bashing college student heads. The students were prepared to fight back. April knew there would be bloodshed. She wanted a rainstorm to deter the students from their rally/bloodbath. 

I knew it could be done but didn't know how much daimoku was needed. So I suggested that she talk with our headquarters chief. She and Marc received specific instructions from him. 

The morning of the protest was cloudless. My first thought was “April is going to be pissed at me again.” (She had a temper!) My next thought was that a lot of people might get hurt, so I chanted for their sake. Around 1:30, a single cloud appeared in the sky. It was a dark cloud. It went straight to the university and rained so hard that the students called off the protest march. By 2:15, the rain stopped and the day was clear again. 

That night April asked the headquarters chief, “Why did only one cloud appear?” “Why did it only rain for 30 minutes?” “Why did it rain only over the campus?” 

He answered “You didn't want to spoil everyone's day, did you?”