Red, Yellow and Blue

“Red is for loss – for all that we have had to endure. And you know what the Laugh will say, don’t you? “Nobody should have to go through what your kind did – nobody should have to watch their own kind being taken apart in the name of some sort of ‘development’.” And they’ll mean it, too. Well, some of them will. The others will applaud and cheer and raise their Squares – but they won’t be willing to make an effort. You know who watches out for us?”

“Nobody.”

“Nobody. You better believe that, Daniella. When push comes to shove, you’ll need your own wings to carry you away from the grasp of the Laugh. They don’t care about your anguish or your melancholic flight back home after seeing your parents become one with the Forest.”

“Don’t say that, Pa!”

“Silence. We do not raise our voices when we talk, nor when we chuckle. We are not the Laugh. And you do not ever get to interrupt me – not when I’m telling you what to expect in the outside world. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Pa.”

“What is red for?”

“For loss.”

“Yellow is for hope – that a new sun will rise after we’ve been through everything that goes on in the Forest. There are Laugh in places all over these parts who want to make a difference.”

“I thought you said they were all the same, and that they couldn’t be trusted?”

“As far as you’re concerned, all that holds true. If you begin to get close to one of them and they turn out to be evil, there is no Beak or Force in the Forest that can save you. Best to steer clear, and err on the side of caution.”

“Then why do we need to know about yellow?”

“What do you mean?”

“You make it sound like everything is doom and gloom, Pa. You make it sound like we’ll be living in the night for the rest of our lives. If day is never to come, why even bother considering yellow to be a part of us all?”

“Do you remember Trey?”

“What does he have to do with anything?”

“Do you or do you not remember Trey?”

“Uncle Trey, yes I remember him. He was the fun sibling, wasn’t he? He always said you were meant to be the serious one, and he was supposed to be the one bringing joy to anyone.”

“Ironic, isn’t it? That we all need to recover from the loss his passing, when he was supposed to be the one bringing us all happiness?”

“It wasn’t his fault. The Laugh got to him before he had a chance. You know that, Pa.”

“He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that’s what happens when you don’t follow the rules of your kind. We have specific guidelines for all kinds of situations – but Trey thought he was smarter than all our ancestors put together.”

“He’s dead, can you not finally forgive him? What more can possibly happen for you to finally have a softer heart?”

“Blue is for sorrow, Daniella.”

“Yes, totally change the subject! Don’t ever talk about the things we should be discussing here. Don’t try to manage your grief – don’t try to talk about all the things that are hurting us.”

“I don’t have much time. Are you going to spend all this time being mad at me?”

“I don’t want to be.”

“Then stop. It’s a choice.”

“Why do you have to be this way? Why are you so hard on everyone, even Uncle Trey?”

“Stop. You need to know everything I have to tell you tonight, and dawn is not far.”

“Fine.”

“Blue is for our grief – the kind of grief that creeps into our bones, and refuses to come out. It is the type of angst that only those who have suffered can relate to – while everyone else can only offer them empty streaks of the colour yellow.”

“Why do we have to speak of these things?”

“Because in four hours’ time, you will be on your own.”

“Do you have to leave, Pa? Is there no way for us to bargain with the Beak? I’m sure She can think of a way for us stay together – for you to stay with us.”

“No, my love. My time was already borrowed – I have no right to continue being a part of this little charade.”

“This is so unfair!”

“I’m not going to tell you everything I’ve already told you about how fair life is. Now, it’s time for you to talk about the things we’ve just talked about. And once you get to Aquicuana, you’re going to tell as many people as possible about this.”

“But, must we do this right now?”

“Yes, dear Daniella. You have to be strong. I am no longer here – I left a long time ago. Thousand of years, actually.”

“Then how come I still hear you?”

“It has been said by the ancestors that those of us who are pure of heart and soul have a connection that stretches far beyond the worlds.”

“I don’t know how to do this without you.”

“But, my dear, that’s what you’ve been doing all this time.”

“I don’t know how! I don’t want to keep going this way!”

“Daniella-“

“I don’t know how to do this. This is not how I want my life to go. I don’t want to keep looking over my shoulder every few moments!”

“Daniella-“

“I want uncle Trey back – I want everyone I love to be safe and protected. I want to be able to trust hu- Laugh. I want to be able to spend my life-“

“Daniella!”

Suddenly, she went quiet. The screeching stopped. All that could be heard was the water falling down a nearby waterfall.

“Now,” said the voice. “Tell me about the colours.”