Sunday, July 6, 2014

Darkness

Following the sound of my voice, she sat next to me. "Describe the color blue," she ordered.
I thought for a few minutes, although it felt like several lives. "Blue is the color of the sky during the day, when it's not dominated by clouds that hide its beauty, or when it's not governed by sunlight that makes its soft tones seem blinding."
I visualized all the beautiful sights I had perceived, and how blessed I was to have been able to.
"Blue is the color of the waves of the sea, of the gushing waterfalls, of the pristine lakes that haven't been tampered by human hands. It's the shade of the corals on the ocean floor, home to shoals of fish. It's the color of the butterfly that settled on the fragile petals of the flowers we grow. It's the color of the starfish we almost stepped on when we were roaming about in the beach."
She settled back, sated. "That was nice," she said, a wide smile across her face. "Now describe pink. It's my sister's favorite color, but she can never depict it to me."
These words made me inexplicably sad. Her sister was too young.
"Pink... it's a color most people associate with girls. It's a hue of the azaleas and tulips that you smell, whenever we take a stroll into the garden. It's the vibrant shade of the flamingos you heard splashing about on the other side of the lake. It's the color of the sour guava fruit you ate yesterday- a rather dull shade, but still pink."
Once again, she seemed satisfied. But I wasn't.
"Your other senses can see for you, remember that," I told her, dubious.
"Yes, I know that. How else do I envision whatever you illustrate to me? I know that vision and myself are incongruous, but you can never know. Describe orange."
Sighing, I continued. "It's the hue that the sun imparts to the sky at sunrise and sunset. It's the coloration of leaves in autumn. Its..."
She let me speak uninterrupted for hours, but I couldn't be wholehearted.
I wished I could give her more. I was in the dark, and so was she.

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