Journey to Rainbow Island (16 page)

“Look at that beautiful family,” Yu-ning said. Jacob nodded reflectively. He was filled with regret and remorse. “It's all right, Jacob. You will see many things that will leave you questioning the life you've lived. This is what is supposed to happen. Surrender the guilt, and commit to your transformation. There is so much you can do to make up for the suffering you caused. Let that be your inspiration.”

The beautiful buck spotted Yu-ning and bounded down the hill. “Hi, deer!” Yu-ning cried out happily, placing her cheek on his large nose.

“Jacob, you don't need to fear him,” Yu-ning said.

The buck looked at Jacob with an all-knowing gaze. “I've known you for my entire lifetime,” said the buck. “I lost my parents, a brother, two sisters, and many friends to your killing. A lot of joy and freedom have been robbed from us as you have hunted our forest. You have caused tremendous suffering.”

The deer paused and looked to the horizon. “I can also feel all the regret and shame within you now. We have Yu-ning to thank for that. Listen to her. Make the change now. Make your life matter now. Pray for all the souls you have taken, and ask for forgiveness. Let your path be sacred now, and remember to respect everyone; all life, large and small,” he said solemnly. “There will be others, and you will need to reach them. Help awaken them as you are awakening,” the beautiful buck continued.

Jacob's shoulders caved in as he began to shake and sob uncontrollably, the floodgates finally breaking. “I'm so sorry. What have I done? I am so very sorry.” His huge body was broken and woebegone. Yu-ning hugged him as the deer family looked on quietly.

After several minutes of silence, the buck said, “I want to take both of you to a special place.”

Yu-ning nodded with excitement in her eyes. Jacob nodded as well and said, “But it is getting dark, and I don't know the route to get back home.”

The buck replied, “Maybe after you see and experience this place, you won't want to go back.”

Yu-ning's eyes opened wide as she nodded at the majestic animal. She pulled on Jacob's arm. “Yes, come on, let's go with him,” she said convincingly.

The buck smiled. “We must go now if you want to see this special place.” He waited a moment for Yu-ning and Jacob to follow and galloped down the path.

“Yes, we want to see. Let's go now!” Yu-ning pulled on Jacob's sleeve as she skipped after the buck. They moved down the path briskly and continued on for quite a while. Jacob and Yu-ning watched the deer descend to a small stream for a drink of water, and they both sat down for a minute to rest in a thick grove of trees. Beyond the trees she saw that the dense forest gave way to a wide-open, grassy space.

They were near a seaside cliff. The air was fresh, and baby blue sky unfolded for miles above them as the sun sank toward the western horizon, a huge ball of orange bathing the cliff in soft light. Below them was a white sand beach onto which the pristine waters were cresting and breaking.

The ocean was sublime. “The sand is so white, clean, and soft,” Yu-ning said dreamily.

Jacob walked over and peered through the trees out into the vast expanse of sea. He was overwhelmed by the beauty and shook his head. “I knew this was here, but I've never cared to really see the ocean like this. I lived in the darkness of my cabin and only came out at night to hunt. I never thought about how beautiful it is,” he said remorsefully.

The buck reminded them that they had to get going before it got darker. Yu-ning and Jacob nodded and walked back on the path through the forest. Green leafy poplar trees jutted above them, mixing in with tall stands of pine. It would be dark soon, and there was a gentle chill in the air. As the sun began to sink, Yu-ning produced the Light of Balthazar, which illuminated the path and made it easier to negotiate.

They once again met up with the stream, which flowed over small rocks and stones down the path next to them; the crystal clear water reflected the last of the day's light. They followed the buck across the stream as the path reappeared on the other side. Beautiful purple flowers bloomed atop squat, waxy green bushes under a ceiling of vibrant green poplar and birch trees on each side of the path. It was a colorful display, and Jacob could hardly believe this was the same forest he hunted in night after night.

As they continued walking, the sunset and night came quickly. Even with the Light of Balthazar now in her hand, Yu-ning remarked that it was getting harder to see beyond the path. All of a sudden bright white lights sliced through the green leafy trees, so bright that it was hard for them to open their eyes. Jacob and Yu-ning had to stop and let
their eyes adjust. The buck waited patiently to guide them further.

The forest path was lit up in bright, shining lights, and before them was a quaint cobblestone and wood house. The house was small, with three short steps leading up to a wide porch and bright white door. A simple love-seat swing sat on one side, and potted pink jasmine grew abundantly up a trellis on the other side. In front of the jasmine were two rocking chairs.

The windows were sparkling clean, refracting the light from the house. The steep roof was made of thick thatch with a sparkling white chimney. In front of the house was a beautiful garden of wildflowers, twice the size of the actual house. The home was lovely and absolutely eccentric. The buck smiled. “This is your destination; go on now. I must leave you. Remember your lessons, Jacob, and stay in the light.” The deer bounded into the forest, leaving Yu-ning and Jacob on the edge of a dozen questions.

“Thank you! Goodbye!” Yu-ning waved happily.

“Wait!” Jacob called. “How do we get back?”

“Don't worry about that now,” Yu-ning said. “Follow your intuition and don't plan for your future before you know your present. Remember what the deer said—you may not even want to go back.” Yu-ning yanked Jacob's sleeve down toward the cobblestone walkway and through the gate in the white picket fence that surrounded the house. Yu-ning was beside herself with excitement. “Here we are, Jacob! Wow, it is so colorful.” Jacob was silent. He just stared at the house with wide eyes. Though he had seen this cottage from a distance, he had always hurried by, never taking the time to approach it or its occupants.

“Your house could be like this if you choose. Come on, let's go inside,” Yu-ning said, skipping to the door. Jacob stood motionless. “Come on, Jacob,” Yu-ning said as she pulled his sleeve again. He and Yu-ning continued up the steps and stood in front of the clean white door. Yu-ning looked at Jacob and said, “You knock. Let's see what happens!” Jacob paused for a moment and knocked three times.

They heard shuffling inside and sounds of someone approaching the door slowly. An old woman opened the door. She looked quite old, her silver-white hair tied in a small bun at the back of her head. She was slightly hunched, wearing a simple green long-sleeved shirt and red pants. She smiled and looked loving and kind. “Hello, my dears,” she said, filled with warmth and affection. “Welcome, welcome. Come on in, my darlings,” she added, smiling ear to ear.

Yu-ning lunged toward her and hugged her. “Thank you, Grandma,” she said excitedly.

Jacob whispered into her ear, “You know her? Is this your grandmother?”

“She's like my grandmother—everyone calls her Grandma. She and Grandpa come to visit the children on Rainbow Island, and always bring us gifts when they come! But this is the first time I've been to their house.” With that, Yu-ning entered the house, filled with wonderment and curiosity. The house was old-fashioned and charming. It was everything you would expect of an elderly couple's home, but inside, the house was saturated with color. Every single thing in the house was a rainbow of colors. The table, cabinets, desk, bed, chairs, closet, sofa, shelves, and every other piece of furniture were each a different color.

The fragrance of freshly baked cookies wafted through the air, and hot chocolate bubbled on the potbelly stove. On the counter next to the hot chocolate was a brimming bowl of white, thick cream. Jacob stood at the door, not knowing what to do. He had never seen such a spectacle and was overwhelmed by all the miraculous events he had witnessed that day. “Jacob, come inside,” Yu-ning coaxed.

“Yes, dear, we welcome you,” Grandma said kindly. “You are welcome in our home,” she continued.

“Thank you,” Jacob whispered shyly as he took two more steps inside, shutting the door silently and waiting by it.

Yu-ning was in a reverie. “Grandma, your home is so beautiful and colorful. It is just like my cave!” Yu-ning pulled out a chair to sit down. “Everything smells so sweet. Like candies and cookies! Ah, I'm so hungry, Grandma!” Yu-ning sighed and collapsed into an orange chair with pink legs at the kitchen table, which was bright red.

Grandma laughed. Jacob smiled and looked around. Quietly, he said, “The house looks so simple from the outside; you would never expect such a world of color on the inside.”

“Yes, but not everything is what it seems on the outside, is it, Jacob?” Grandma asked softly. She was filled with the wisdom of many years. Jacob just stared, standing by the door like a stiff board.

Yu-ning was swinging her legs back and forth. “You live here, Grandma?” Yu-ning asked, as she looked around in sheer delight.

“Yes, I live here with my husband.” She smiled and pointed into the living room at the center of the house. On a purple sofa sat an old man wearing glasses and reading a
book. He had silver hair, a white moustache, and a neatly trimmed beard. He looked into the kitchen and nodded at Grandma as he rose and walked over to join them.

Grandma pulled out a dark blue chair with light blue legs and gestured for him to sit across from Yu-ning. He was holding a big colorful mug of softly steaming tea.

“Grandpa!” Yu-ning said happily.

“Hello, sweetheart. Welcome.” He smiled at Yu-ning as his eyes twinkled with light. “And welcome to your friend here. Jacob, is it?” Grandpa said kindly, looking toward the entryway. Jacob nodded uncomfortably and lifted his hand to greet Grandpa. “Come here, son. Sit with us.”

Awkwardly, Jacob walked over to a purple chair with green legs and sat down next to Yu-ning. He looked around in amazement at the beautiful, unusual house. “Your home is so nice. I've never seen a home like this. How long have you two lived here?”

Grandpa sipped his tea as he reflected on the house and the years he had spent here with his beloved. “We have lived here nearly seventy-seven years—since we finished building most of the house. We had our eye on this land since we found each other at fifteen; our families were refugees after the Great Obsidigon War destroyed our village on Malinga Island. Many of the families lived a nomadic life, sailing from island to island, seeking a new home—somewhere quiet and far from the reminders of the war. So we decided to marry, and settle here on Palova. We started building this house when we were eighteen. We are both nearly 100 years old and we have spent every day together.”

“You are from Malinga?” asked Jacob. “I am from Darqendia. Well, I mean, I was. My mother and father are long dead,
and I have lived on the other side of the island for about twenty years.”

“So we are both refugees in our own way, aren't we, Jacob?” said Grandpa.

“Yes, I suppose we are . . .” Jacob answered. “I have walked by your cottage many times late at night, but I have never seen the lights. I had heard that an elderly couple lived on the far side of the island, but I never took the time to come visit you. I am sorry we haven't met before now . . .” his voice trailed off.

“Well,” said Grandpa, “we are meeting now, which is a great thing.”

Grandpa reached over to hold Grandma's hand. He smiled and said, “She is as beautiful to me now as the first day I laid my eyes on her, dancing in this magical forest with all the animals. We began to meet in the forest every day and to speak with the animals. We fell in love right away. When we were sixteen, we planned to build our home in this beautiful forest, and we started the day we turned eighteen. Both sets of our parents died long ago, of course, and the few relatives we had either are dead, or moved on to other islands long ago.”

He explained how he and Grandma built the house from the ground up, all by themselves. “We made every piece of furniture in it together. We painted everything. It took us ten years to completely finish, and each year since we have made additions and have continued to cultivate our home, like our garden of wildflowers. We live here among the animals, forest, and sea. It is our heaven. We have had a blessed, blessed life.”

Tears came to Jacob's eyes. “You have been here this entire time, and yet I have only known darkness. I don't have any friends. I've caused only pain in my life.”

Grandpa looked Jacob in the eyes. “We have been waiting for you, Jacob. We have known of you for as long as you have lived in these forests. We first saw the crimes you committed many years ago, and we vowed to live here and shelter this sacred forest and all the animals in it as best we could. We saved many animals from your barbarism, but so many we lost. We made peace long ago, knowing it was the path you'd chosen, and all of the blessed animals that you killed submitted to the fate of being taken by you.

“They all gave their lives for the gift of your transformation—they sacrificed themselves and their families for your rebirth. They are to be thanked, honored, and revered for the light you have found now. You can never go back to that darkness, and you must spend every moment of your life from this day forward making up for the senseless destruction. Do you want to know our secret of eight decades of bliss together? Do you know why our lives are so filled with brightness and color? Well, it's very simple: we do everything with love. With love everything is possible. Love keeps everything together.”

Grandpa stopped as tears flowed down his cheeks. Grandma walked over to the table and leaned over to embrace him. As they hugged, Jacob looked at them wistfully. “I hope one day I will have what you have,” he said sadly. “I will do as you say. I will devote every day of my life to making restitution. I will create a world in which I give back to all the animals. I will revere this forest and all its blessings.”