The Rainbow Serpent

Men yo wi, Maman. "Here they are, Mother,'' Junior said as he handed his mother the basket full of shiny shells he had been collecting and cleaning since early morning.

Sa bon, pitit gason mwen! "This is wonderful, my son! Now let's hope we'll have more tourists today!''

Junior could see the look of satisfaction in his mother's eyes, and this, in turn, made him very happy. Like most of the 14,000 residents of the tiny island of Ile A Vache, Haiti, Junior's family heavily depended on tourism and the land for sustenance.

After completing his daily chores, it was now noon, just the perfect time for him to meet his friends to decide whether to join the shouts of boys and men playing futbòl, swim, play marbles, or paddle their most recent prized possession – their rainbow-painted canoe called Lakansyèl- Rainbow. Made out of a large mango trunk, they cooperatively built it together. Junior found leftover cans of paint and paintbrushes from the local hotel's dumpster and painted the boat.

They lived on the shore, a walking distance from the pristine ocean. Every evening, he and his friends would sit on a hill and admire the beautiful sun setting on the horizon. It was truly breathtaking and never got old to see.

Junior and his friends decided to go swimming and were now off to do what they love –bask in the crystal-clear turquoise waters as they scavenged for shrimps and lobsters. The sounds of dominoes slamming on tabletops and the beating of drums began to fade as they got closer to the beach.

They watched the ocean crash onto the shore as if its job was to cool the scorching sand from the unforgiving sun. Those briny waves come as rain to a dessert, a gift never repaid, as it always is with nature. As far as the eye could see, scores of sailboats headed for the island or other destinations darted the sea. The super-hot sun pierced their skin as if they were under a heat lamp.

The soft hues of the beach at eventide were the colors of his ever-dreams. Junior slowly walked towards the water, his feet embracing the hot, primrose sand, its hue as gentle on the eye as a vintage photograph. There was a steady warmth from the grains. He was a good swimmer, perhaps not as good as some of his neighboring friends, but still very good. He navigated through the water with ease as he looked for lobsters and shrimps. They took turns paddling the canoe. Once they saw a lobster, they took turns diving in. Everything was going so perfectly, and the boys were having the time of their lives.

Men yon lakansyel! "Look, a rainbow!" shouted one of the boys. Junior lifted his left hand above his eyes as he looked up into the clear, bold blue sky. There was a beautiful rainbow. Far more beautiful than anything he had ever seen before, its iridescent colors arc into the blue sky.

"You are so beautiful today, Ayida-Weddo!" he whispered to himself. All of a sudden, the rainbow appeared to slither like a snake. Junior blinked and looked again, and the rainbow was still. He was hallucinating, so he thought.

"Junior, it's your turn!" one of the boys said. A lobster, discovered by one of the boys, held his pincers aloft, his senses telling him there was a reason to trigger his defense-mode. Junior was not going to let this chance go to waste. He dove in headfirst and swam towards it. Closer and closer. As he reached out his arms to grab it, something strange happened. He felt as if he was being sucked through an invisible hole. He looked down and noticed that his swim trunks were gone, and he was suddenly wearing a fine white linen shirt and pants with leather sandals.

"Junior! Junior!'' his friends were shouting for him.

"I'm here! I'm here!" he responded. Helplessly, he watched them dive into the water and frantically searched around. He quickly realized that his screams were futile because no one could hear him.

Something was not right. He was in a dark, dry cave. All of a sudden, a colorful light appeared a few feet from where he was. "Junior,'' a soft, hissing voice called out his name from inside the light.

Oui? "Yes?" Junior replied. He didn't move. Each foot felt a ton. He could feel his heart pounding loudly in his chest. He didn't know what to do. When the voice called out to him again, he decided he would walk towards the light. “Junior,” The voice called again.

Junior gathered all the courage he had inside of him. He remembered his mother telling him never to show that he was afraid if he ever saw a ghost. As he walked into the light, the energy levels he was getting from it were off the charts, but he kept on moving regardless.

Junior walked through the threshold, and he could not believe his eyes. He was standing in the middle of a beautiful palatial room. The room was like the images he had seen from a perfect magazine cover. He was afraid he would wrinkle the fabric. The couch was cream but inlaid with fine green silk; leaves embroidered so delicately that they might have landed there in spring and just sunk in. The white linen curtains were the kind that had been untouched by hands and devoid of dust. There was no television, bookshelf, or dining table. There were chairs arranged around the bespoke fireplace where the fire merrily leaped and danced. The wainscot paneling wall, crown molding, and the high polished wood floor was something Junior had never seen before.

All of a sudden, a colossal serpent with iridescent scales appeared. Junior suddenly forgot everything his mother taught him. His eyes grew wide as he thought about running, but where would he go? His heart was beating hard and fast like the Haitian congo drums beating at a Vodun ceremony. A drop of sweat made its way down his forehead. Nothing seemed to make sense. He was dumb-founded and could only stand and wait for fate to have its way with him.

Ou pa bezwen pe, Junior. Se mwen men m Damballah ki gadyèn ou. "Do not be afraid, Junior. It is I, Damballah, your guardian. I have been watching you for a long time since you were in your mother's womb. I have been your protector,'' the large, beautiful snake hissed. Junior was shocked. He could not believe that he was in a room with an impressively large talking snake that was also somehow his guardian. It was all a strange experience, but deep down, Junior believed Damballah. He was at ease.

Wi Papa Damballah. "Yes, Father Damballah,'' Junior said, genuinely curious to know and get answers to everything that was happening.

His life was moving so fast right before his very eyes, and he had not managed to catch a breath yet. "I know that your stomach is empty. You must be hungry from all the swimming you have been doing,” Damballah said, and out of nowhere, a large dining table appeared in front of him with all sorts of food one could only imagine. "Here, have a seat, help yourself to some food. Eat until you cannot eat anymore,'' Damballah told him. It was unbelievable, a magical experience. "I will tell you all you need to know. In the end, your mind will no longer have questions to ask."

Junior pulled out a chair, sat down, and started eating, Damballah went on to explain to him the real reason why he had summoned him to his realm that day.

"I have seen the passion in you, Junior, the burning flame inside, the heart of a warrior that never gives up. The world needs more people like you. You will become a doctor, but to be that you need to leave the island to pursue a higher level of education. This way, you will be able to truly help your people."

Junior was ready to respond, but instead, he continued to eat. He didn't know when the next time he would be able to eat like this again. A small, black notebook then appeared next to his plate. "The book will guide you to great treasures buried in the island. You will take enough gold, worth over $20,000, to help finance your trip and attend college.”

"Gold?" asked Junior.

"Yes," said Damballah, "gold that once belonged to the pirate, Henry Morgan. He buried his treasures here. You will use that gold so that you can leave when the time is right.''

Junior looked at the small notebook. The cover was made of leather and a rubber band is wrapped around it to keep it closed. It looks just like the notebooks he has seen before. Tourists would write and attach paper souvenirs in them. He could not fathom how his life had just changed in an instant. ''Is this even real? I must be dreaming, surely,'' Junior said to himself, thoughts still racing wild in his mind.

''You are more than ready to handle this responsibility bestowed upon you, Junior. You are the hope of your people, and everything in your life has been leading you to this moment. I have given you the skills to become the best tailor, the knowledge to build powerful engines, and a photographic memory to retain any information. It is now time to say goodbye, Junior, and I hope that your journey will be successful. Remember, I will always be there to watch over you.''

"Junior! Junior!" Maman violently shook him. Junior opened his eyes. "Oh! He's alive! Mesi Bondye! Thank you, God!"

"Where did you get these clothes?" Papa asked. Junior immediately reached out his arms, patting his pockets. His heart beating fast, once again confused by what was happening. He felt the shape of the small black book and his face immediately turned into a beaming smile.

The people in the village arrive to celebrate Junior’s return. The sounds of rums, whistles, banmbu, and vaksin filled the air. “Papa Damballah came to me in a dream and told me that Junior is safe and he will return in 20 days.” His aunt Sofie tells everyone. 20 days? Junior wasn’t aware that he was gone for so long. Everyone waited until Junior began to tell his story. The people were fascinated. He kept the story of the little black notebook to himself because he knew that there are things one must keep to themselves when it comes to money. The sun sets and everyone goes home. Junior takes out the little black notebook and opens it. A glowing light and the path to the treasure magically appears.

“What is that?” Papa asked.

“It’s a notebook given to me by Papa Damballah.”

He asks to see the book. When Papa opened it, there was nothing there. Papa knew. “ I will not ask anymore,” Papa said, handing him the book. “ What is given to you by the lwas are for you alone.”

The next morning, Junior wakes up before sunrise to complete his chores. He leaves with a satchel filled with food, tools and carried an old shovel. He tells Maman he will be back before dinner.

Junior removes the rubber band wrapped around the book and opens it. The path to the treasure magically appears again.

He reaches the other side of the island where the sea is rough. He follows the map which leads him to a ravine. The locals do not venture out there so the area is kept pristine and unmolested. As he cuts through, he sees the opening of a cave. Junior enters it and sees sparkles on the walls embedded within the quartz stone. He digs into the walls and fills his bag. It was getting heavy with gold and Junior wanted to cut some more. “That’s enough, my son.” A voice whispers. “Leave some for the others.”