How Rainbows Can Speak
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The first time I saw a rainbow, it was the most beautiful thing in my life. It wasn’t just that there were two rainbows; they came together to form one big arc of color and light over the ocean at night. The colors weren’t bright like neon or fluorescent lights—they looked more natural than anything else I’d ever seen before.
They reminded me of how the world looks when you’re looking up through an open window on a sunny day with no clouds in sight.
I stood transfixed for several minutes until someone called out from behind: “Hey! You can see them too if you look down.”
“What?” I turned around quickly, but nobody had been standing next to me. My eyes darted back toward the sky as soon as I heard his voice again. Sure enough, there was another rainbow forming below us now.
This one didn’t have quite so many colors, though it did still go all the way across our field of view. There were only three different shades here, plus a faint hint of green near the bottom edge where the sun hadn’t yet set completely.
“That’s amazing,” I said breathlessly. “Why do we never get to see things like this in real life? Are they always visible somewhere nearby?”
My friend shrugged. He seemed unimpressed by the whole spectacle, which made sense since he was used to seeing rainbows every day. I guess they don’t really stand out unless you’ve got your head tilted at exactly the right angle.
We watched the second rainbow slowly fade away into nothingness as the last sliver of sunlight disappeared beneath the horizon. Then both of us went inside to wash off the sand and salt water. We sat side-by-side on the couch while we dried ourselves off.
“You know what would be cool?” I asked him. “If those two rainbows could talk!”
He laughed. “Yeah, why not? What would they say?”
“Well, maybe the one above us is talking about how great it feels to finally meet somebody who appreciates its beauty.”
“And the other one might be saying something like ‘Oh yeah, well thanks for being such a jerk.'”
“Or maybe they’re just having some friendly banter.”
“Whatever. Why does anyone even care what they think anyway?”
It took me a minute to realize he was joking. But then I started laughing along with him because it felt good to laugh after all that crying earlier. And once we stopped giggling, I realized I actually liked my new idea. So I decided to give it a shot.
When I woke up the next morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about rainbows. All throughout breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime stories, I kept wondering what a rainbow might sound like if it could speak. After a few hours of trying out various phrases in my head, I settled on the following: “Hello, everyone! How are you today?”
Then I waited patiently for the rest of the family to fall asleep so I could try it out without any distractions. Once everybody was snoring softly, I crept quietly downstairs and tiptoed outside onto the front porch. As far as I knew, nobody else was awake yet except for the cat, which I assumed wouldn’t mind if I borrowed her voice for a little bit.
I opened the door carefully so I wouldn’t wake anybody up, and stepped outside. The air was cold against my skin. A breeze blew past me, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass. I closed my eyes for a moment to take it all in.
When I opened them again, the moonlight cast everything in stark relief. Everything looked sharper somehow than usual like I was staring at the world through a magnifying glass.
There was a small patch of lawn directly in front of me, surrounded by a wooden fence. Beyond that lay the street. In the distance, I could make out the silhouette of the neighbor’s house. To either side of me, the trees swayed gently in the wind. Above me, the stars shone brightly in the black sky.
Everything was quiet, peaceful, and serene. If I hadn’t known better, I might have thought I was dreaming.
But I wasn’t. I was wide awake. And I was very much aware of the fact that I was alone.
Suddenly, I remembered my plan. I cleared my throat loudly, making sure the neighbors wouldn’t hear me, then spoke aloud: “Hello, people of Earth! How are you tonight?”
No response. Nothing happened. No one answered. Not even the cat.
So I tried it again. Only louder this time. “HELLO, PEOPLE OF EARTH!”
Still nothing. I was starting to feel discouraged. Maybe it wasn’t working because I’d picked a bad spot to try it. Or maybe the neighbors had already gone to sleep, and I was interrupting their dreams. Either way, I figured it probably wasn’t worth trying anymore.
Just then, I noticed something odd. It almost looked like someone was walking down the sidewalk toward me. At first, I dismissed it as an optical illusion caused by the light from the moon shining through the leaves overhead. But when I squinted, I saw it was definitely a person. They weren’t moving particularly fast or anything, but they were headed straight towards me nonetheless.
“Whoa!” I shouted suddenly. “Is that a ghost?”
The figure paused and turned around. For a split second, I thought I recognized him. Then I realized it was just his reflection in the window behind me. Still, it gave me chills to look at him standing there in the darkness. His face was covered by shadows, but I could still tell he was smiling.
“What’s wrong?” I asked nervously. “Didn’t you hear me?”
He shook his head sadly and continued walking. As soon as he reached the end of the block, he vanished completely.
For a while, I stood there dumbfounded. Was he really a ghost? Did ghosts exist here too, just like in Japan? That seemed unlikely. Whatever it was, I didn’t want to get caught spying on him. So I quickly shut the door and went back inside.
Once I got upstairs, I told Mommy about what I’d seen. She listened intently, nodding occasionally. Finally, she said, “That sounds like a nice dream. You should keep trying.”
I nodded enthusiastically. “Okay!”
After that, I practiced speaking every night until I finally managed to pull off the whole thing successfully. I did it right before going to bed each night, so no one would notice. By the third day, I was able to say it perfectly without stumbling over my words.
And now, whenever I wanted, I could talk to other people across the ocean. Even though I only ever heard their voices in my own head, it made me feel closer to them. Like we were friends who shared secrets together. And I liked knowing that they were thinking of me too.
***
One evening, several months after I started talking with the Japanese kids, I decided to try something new. Instead of whispering into the phone, I spoke out loud.
“Hey, people of Earth! How are you today?”
This time, I waited a few seconds for a reply. There was none. After a minute passed, I sighed and hung up.
Maybe I shouldn’t have spoken so loudly. Maybe I needed to be more careful not to disturb anyone. Next time, I’ll whisper instead.
As I was hanging up, I felt something brush against my leg. I glanced down and saw a little white kitten sitting right next to me. He blinked slowly at me, then rubbed his cheek against mine.
“Oh,” I said quietly. “You’re cute.”
The kitten purred happily. Its fur was soft and silky, and its tiny pink nose smelled faintly of milk.
“Do you want some food?” I asked.
The kitten tilted his head slightly to the left, then jumped onto my lap. When I lifted my hand to pet him, he licked it eagerly.
“Wow, he likes you!” I exclaimed. “He must think you’re pretty special.”
I scratched his ears gently, then put him down. The kitten sat on the floor beside me and watched curiously as I dialed the number. A moment later, a familiar voice came on the line.
“Hi, Yuu-chan! What’s up?”
My friend Kana sounded cheerful. We talked about our days for a bit, then I asked her if she’d mind doing me a favor.
“Sure, what is it?”
“Could you ask your mom to make me some rice balls tomorrow?”
Kana giggled. “Why don’t you do it yourself?”
I shrugged. “Well, I’m kind of busy these days.”
“Busy?” she repeated. “Like what?”
I hesitated. This was the part where I usually lied, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie about this. If I told her everything, she might start worrying. And I didn’t know how much longer we’d be able to talk anyway…
So instead, I changed the subject. “How many times can you say ‘kitty’ in one minute?”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.”
We spent another ten minutes chatting, then I thanked Kana and hung up. Once again, I stared blankly at the receiver.
“Yuu-chan…”
A gentle breeze rustled the curtains. Outside, a warm summer rain began falling.
“What am I supposed to do?” I whispered desperately.
It had been three years since my parents died, but I still hadn’t found any way to cope with their death. It wasn’t that I didn’t care; I simply didn’t understand why they’d gone away. Why did they leave me behind?
Every single day, I wished my mother was alive again. But even when I thought about it, it never made sense. I knew she loved me very much. So why did she abandon me?
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find an answer. I just kept getting stuck.
I looked around the room. My desk was cluttered with books and papers. On top of it lay a small box filled with toys—a stuffed animal, a doll, a rubber ball, and a plastic sword. They were all things I’d received from my father or grandfather.
There weren’t enough hours in the day to read through all the books piled on my desk. In fact, there probably wouldn’t be any time soon. Not unless I stopped sleeping altogether.
But I couldn’t stop reading. I had to learn everything I possibly could. I had to figure out how to save everyone.
If only I could remember exactly what happened back then.
I closed my eyes tightly and pictured the scene: the night before my parents disappeared. I remembered the last words my dad said to me.
“Goodbye, Yuu-chan. Be good, okay?”
Then the lights went off.
When I opened my eyes, everything was dark. The house was silent except for the sound of wind blowing outside.
For a while, I stood stock still, trying to calm my racing heart. Then I took a deep breath and walked over to the window.
Outside, the sky was clear and bright. The moon glowed like silver. I leaned forward and pressed my face against the glass.
“Dad?” I called softly. “Mom?”
Silence answered me.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming toward the front door. Someone knocked twice.
I ran downstairs and unlocked the door. Standing there was my neighbor, Mr. Yamada. His wife had died two years ago, and he lived alone now.
“Are you OK, Yuu-chan?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes, thanks. Is something wrong?”
Mr. Yamada shook his head. “Just wanted to see if you needed anything.”
“Thanks, but no need,” I replied.
After he left, I turned back into my home office. There was nothing more I could do tonight, so I decided to go to bed early.
***
I woke up at seven o’clock in the morning. After brushing my teeth, I headed straight for the kitchen.
The first thing I saw was the cat sitting by the sink. He looked up at me expectantly.
“Sorry, but I have to eat breakfast today.”
“Mewwwwww.”
His tail thumped against the tile floor. I sighed and pulled open the cupboard. Inside, I found a bowl of rice, half a dozen eggs, and a few slices of bacon. I grabbed them all and set them on the counter, then washed my hands in preparation for cooking.
As I cracked the eggs, I noticed that someone had written a note next to the refrigerator.
YUU-CHAN!
PLEASE EAT BREAKFAST BEFORE GOING TO SCHOOL!!!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!
LOVE, MOM
My stomach growled loudly as I read the message. I glanced down at the cat, who was watching me intently.
“You want some too?”
He purred happily and rubbed his cheek against my hand.
“Fine, I’ll feed you after I’m done eating.”
I started making fried rice. When it came time to add the vegetables, I realized I was missing one crucial ingredient: soy sauce.
I searched the fridge and cabinets, but I couldn’t find any. As I reached for the phone, a knock sounded at the front door.
“Who is it?” I called out.
“It’s me!”
Kana peeked her head inside. She wore a white blouse and blue jeans, along with a pair of black shoes. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she carried a large bag slung across her shoulder.
She smiled brightly. “Hi, Yuu-chan! Are you ready for school?”
“Yeah, I guess so…”
I stared at Kana. How long had it been since we’d seen each other? Three months, maybe four…
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you be going to class right now?”
Kana shrugged and held up her backpack. “Oh, yeah. Well, I thought I might come by your place this morning, but then I got caught up talking to Yukari-san.”
“Huh?”
“We’re starting our new club tomorrow,” she explained. “So I’ve been helping her get organized.”
“A new club?”
“Yep. We’re calling ourselves ‘Dancing Queens.'”
“Um, sure. Why not?”
I laughed. It seemed like a pretty weird name for a club. But then again, Kana was always full of surprises.
“Anyway, I hope you don’t mind if I stay for lunch,” she added.
“No problem. Just help yourself.”
I put the rest of the food away and sat down at the table. Kana followed suit.
“Wow, you made fried rice!”
“Well, I didn’t know what else to make.”
“This looks great! Thanks for letting me join you.”
“Sure. You can take whatever you want from the fridge or pantry.”
“Cool.”
While we ate, I told Kana about everything that had happened between me and Mom and Dad. About how they were both gone, and I was living alone.
“That sucks,” she said.
“Yeah, it does.”
“But you seem to be handling things well.”
“At least, I think so.”
“Do you really feel like you’re coping with it okay?”
I hesitated before answering. “…I dunno.”
“How do you mean?”
“When I look around my room, I still see their faces everywhere—the pictures on my wall, the books on my shelf, even the clothes hanging in my closet. Sometimes I just sit there staring at them, wishing they would come back.”
“Hmm…”
“I wish I knew why they left. All I ever hear is that it wasn’t my fault, that I did nothing wrong. And yet, I keep thinking that I must have somehow caused it. That I should have known better than to let them leave me behind.”
I took another bite of rice. The taste reminded me of home. My parents’ house.
“I try to tell myself that it doesn’t matter anymore. They’re gone, and I need to move on. But sometimes I wonder whether I’ll ever be able to forget them completely.”
“Maybe you won’t,” Kana replied. “And maybe that’s okay.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Some people never stop grieving over the loss of loved ones. Maybe you will, too.”
“Thanks.”
I felt a little comforted knowing that someone understood.
After eating, Kana helped me clean up. Then she went off to school and I headed upstairs to my bedroom.
The first thing I saw when I walked into my room was the picture frame. In it, I could clearly see my mother smiling. Next to it stood a photo of me and my father. He was standing beside me, holding me close.
Next to those photos was the box containing all of my memories of them. Inside were old letters, postcards, and photographs. There was also an envelope addressed to me. I opened it and pulled out its contents.
There was a letter written in English. It was dated two years ago, shortly after I moved to Japan.
Dear Yuu-chan,
As you may already know, your father and I are moving to America. This means that we won’t be returning to Japan anytime soon. I wanted you to know ahead of time because I know how much you love coming to visit us. So please remember: Your grandparents aren’t dead; they’re only away visiting your uncle.
Your dad and I will miss you very much, but we promise to write often. Please don’t worry. Everything will work itself out.
Love,
Mommy
P.S.: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you have any doubts, just call your grandpa.
Yours,
Daddy
It was signed “Mama and Papa.”
I looked at the clock on my bedside table. It read 10:30 AM.
My mom was supposed to arrive at noon.
***
I’d spent most of the day lying on my bed reading, watching TV, and surfing the Internet. I hadn’t heard anything from Mom since yesterday evening. She probably wouldn’t show up until later today.
Just as I was getting ready to go downstairs and start making dinner, the doorbell rang.
I hurriedly threw on some jeans and a T-shirt, grabbed my wallet and keys, then ran down the stairs. When I got outside, I noticed something strange.
A car was parked in front of our house.
Was this her? Had she been here earlier and I missed her? Or was she going to drive by again tomorrow morning?
I tried to recall the last time I’d seen my mom. It had been three days ago, during the summer break. We met up at the station, where she bought me lunch. Afterward, we went shopping together and visited the park near my apartment.
She seemed happy enough, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was bothering her.
I stepped onto the porch and found myself face-to-face with a woman who appeared to be in her late fifties or early sixties. Her hair was long and gray, and she wore glasses. She smiled warmly at me.
“Hello. I’m Yukari Saito, Yuu-chan’s grandmother.”
Her voice was soft and gentle. I didn’t recognize it at first, but it sounded familiar.
“Oh…hi.”
“So nice to meet you. You must be Yuu-chan’s friend, Kana.”
“Uh, yeah…”
I glanced toward the street. No sign of my mother anywhere.
“Would you like to come inside for a moment?” asked Mrs. Saito.
“Um, sure.”
We both entered the house. As I followed her through the living room, I caught sight of a man sitting on the sofa. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be sleeping.
Mrs. Saito led me into the kitchen, where she offered me a cup of tea. I accepted gratefully.
Once she’d poured the water, she sat across from me and gave me a quick rundown about herself—her name, age, occupation, etc. She told me that she lived alone in a small apartment nearby. She said that her husband passed away several years ago.
Then she explained why she was there.
“I came to talk to you about your mother,” she began.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about what happened recently. And I think I understand now.”
“Understand…what?”
“You see, Yuu-chan has always been a bit different from other children. Ever since she was young, she would get upset over things easily. But lately, she seems even more sensitive than usual. That’s why I thought maybe she might need some help.”
“Help?”
I wasn’t quite following her.
“I want to give Yuu-chan a little sister or brother. A new sibling can make everything better.”
“But isn’t that kind of sudden?”
“No, not really. I’ve been planning this for months. In fact, your parents knew about it too. They agreed to let me adopt Yuu-chan when she turned sixteen.”
“Wait, so…you’re saying that my mom is actually your daughter?!”
“Yes. Your mother and I used to date back in college. Then one night, while we were drinking at a bar, she confessed to me that she was pregnant. At the time, she was still an undergraduate student, and I was working part-time. So I convinced her to keep the baby. I promised to take care of him or her, no matter what.”
“And did you ever intend to follow through with that promise?”
Mrs. Saito nodded slowly. “Of course. I never broke my word.”
“Didn’t you feel bad about lying to my parents? About deceiving them like that?”
“Not at all. I wanted to protect Yuu-chan from any potential harm. Besides, I know how much you love her. If I’d told your parents the truth right away, they would have taken their granddaughter away from you.”
“That’s true…but still…”
I felt uneasy talking to someone who’d lied to my family just because she wanted me to have a younger sibling.
“Anyway, I’m sorry that I haven’t contacted you before now. I only learned about your mother’s death yesterday. I hope that doesn’t cause any problems between us.”
“It won’t. My dad’s doing okay though, right?”
“He’s fine. He’s already moved out of his old place and started renting a condo downtown. The two of you should go visit sometime soon.”
“Yeah, I’ll try to stop by next week.”
“Good. Well, I guess that’s all I needed to say. Thank you very much for listening.”
As Mrs. Saito rose to leave, I decided to ask a final question.
“By the way, are you married?”
“No, I’m not. I don’t believe in marriage anymore. It’s too restrictive.”
“Huh. Okay then.”
The conversation ended there. Once she left the house, I went outside to wait for Mom.
The End