Legend of Promise

I remember the first time I saw a rainbow: it was brightly reflected, with its color bands glittering like a battle-flag, softly bobbing on the surface of Atlantic Lake.  To my eight year-old eyes, it was the epitome of beauty.  Mamma says that rainbows were once shown in the sky, but that was before our time.  Mamma knows these things, 'cause she saw a book once.

I was all puffed up with importance at the time, 'cause I was allowed to go on the journey to Atlantic Lake to help fetch water back to the camp.  The lake is a dangerous place, what with all the fighting over water, an' such, but Mamma said I could go, seein's we didn't have enough men to carry the barrels.

That night, I asked Mamma to tell me about rainbows, 'cause I reckon that it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever laid eyes on.  She told me that rainbows were a warning from the God that we needed to go deep to siphon off water, 'cause there was bad stuff on the surface.  Then she told us the legend of Big Rock, and the day the rainbows fell.

Once, the earth was green and pretty, with plenty of water and food for everyone.  There were many kinds of animals and birds.  The skies were blue, and filled with fancy white clouds.  Quite often, when conditions were just right, the clouds would gather together and turn dark and heavy with water.  It would finally get so heavy that it would fall from the skies in huge droplets -- they called it 'rain.'  (That had our young eyes open wide with awe.  To think that water would fall from the skies.)

"Mamma, what are birds?"

"Hush, Kiel, that is another story.  Let me finish this one first."

One day, Big Rock fell from the sky, spitting fire like a demon.  The skies shook with the tremendous roar of its passage, and huge billows of sulfurous smoke filled the air behind it.  It hit in Europe, instantly vaporizing millions of people -- but that was a blessing, in the light of the terrible times to come.  Smoke and dust hung in a heavy pall over all the earth, killing crops and starving all but the most hardy of beasts.

The clouds refused to give up their rain anymore. The rainbows protested, arguing that what few creatures were left, needed the rain to live.  In the ensuing argument, the clouds were angered, and rainbows were banished from living among them anymore.

The rainbows made a deal with the men: they would go and live among the waters, and give warning if the waters were dangerous to drink.  In return, men would keep them alive, by telling the tale of their promise to all their generations.

As the waters continually receded, rainbows became more and more scarce.  But if danger lurks in the water, there seems always to be one there to warn us.

"Mamma, what was the promise that the rainbows wanted passed down?"  Luminus was always asking these weird questions.  I think 'cause she wanted to be a Storyteller like Mamma.

Mamma smiled at her: "The promise is that one day the rains will return, and when they do, the dust will be washed from the air, and the rainbows will once again go to live in the clouds."

I gave a disgusted snort at that, and caught one of Mamma's backhands for it.  She don't hit us often, but when she does, we remember it for a long time.

"Never doubt the promise, child.  It's our only hope."

Our reverie 'round the campfire was interrupted by flickering illumination, and distant booming.  Momma stood up on the hill and looked West, toward the hills of Maine.

"What is it, Momma?"  Luminus' voice revealed a tremor.

"There must be fighting in the hills," Momma said.  "I can't see anything because they're hidden by clouds."

There was a damp smell in the wind gusts that tugged at her clothes.

Dallas D'Angelo-Gary 01