1 Lola's Brushes

Lola's Brushes

Mendou was tired, very tired, too tired certainly. For months he and his family had nearly nothing to eat. Living in Africa in times of drought and famine was hardly the best place for a young child. Despite all of this, Mendou forgot all his troubles when watching this beautiful clear and starry sky, those sparks of light on the board of the Universe.

He remembered these pictures an astronomy enthusiast doctor showed him several weeks before, while he was at the clinic for a medical exam. Galaxies, nebulaes, stars, planets, constellations in all directions. How beautiful were these photos…

Since that day, Mendou dreamed of travelling across the clouds and see more of these celestial wonders. He came to pray many times the heavens to allow him to travel between bright stars.

Tonight, he would sleep under the sparkling vault, looking toward the diamond that spread over the world. He was so tired, so weak and so hungry, yet these comforting stars brought him his daily joy.

Ready to plunge into the world of dreams, Mendou saw a young girl approaching, with long red hair floating in the breeze of the night. She was dressed in a very colorful fashion, with short colored patterned tunic and shirt, squared socks and ballerina shoes. On her back was a quiver with seven big painter brushes. Mendou raised and look at her silently with a certain pleasure. Who was she? He did not know, but she had a sweet and serene face, a peaceful attitude. She was, at most, nine years old, the same age as him… or almost the same age, he was not yet nine.

She broke the silence and introduced herself. "My name is Lola", she said, "You are Mendou isn't it?" Surprised, Mendou answered affirmatively. What did she want? How did she knows his name?

"I'm taking you with me." She said, smiling, "did you not wanted to journey between the stars of the universe? To visit the sparkling heaven?" she announced to Mendou hesitant.

He walked toward her. He did not understand why, but he knew he could trust the little girl. She took one of the seven brushes which became alive under her hand, and colored itself with a bright blue azure. She drew like a door in the air, a passage that both borrowed. And then they began to fly, heading for the heavenly stars.

The eyes of Mendou were subjugated, while Lola took another one of the brushes to open new passageways in the sky, new doors in the cosmos, then another brush again, and another, each a different color but all shining, giving at each use some glittering sparks of light. It was fabulous, wonderful. Mendou had no words to describe what he saw. Stars, planets, whole constellations and galaxies, exactly like the pictures he had seen, but even more beautiful, more wonderful than anything he had ever hoped to see.

The best was yet to come when Lola took all the brushes one by one, throwing spots of bright color in the air, like a painter's palette in the sky. It was a new door, a large, an exceptional colorful nebulae door. The best show that the universe could offer to a child's eye, huge abstract paintings, filled on all side with shimmering colors, with here and there extraordinary white shinny spots, almost blinding, new stars, big and large as he never knew it could exist.

Mendou was so happy, his prayers had been heard and Lola arrived with her fairy brushes. He no longer felt any pain, any suffering, any hunger or fatigue. He continued to follow Lola in their endless wanderings. Truly he did not want this to end, it was so beautiful, so poetic. He wanted to see more, always more and really enjoy this moment of absolute freedom.

Lola looked Mendou, always smiling, serene. He did not know how to say it, but that smile was soothing. She took his hand, "Now, I'll take you to the morning star, whose brilliance surpasses all other brilliance." The heaven seemed to answer the heart of Mendou. He was happy, so happy, and there was so much to see, and now Lola offered him to see the most beautiful of all stars of heaven.

The little red haired girl took her brushes one by one once again and created colored ribbons with movements such as those gymnasts he had seen on a television very long time ago. Before the astonished eyes of Mendou, ribbons of swirling colors lighted up, each of the color of the rainbow, revealing a hallway with soothing iridescent glow, warm as the sweet embrace of her mother, her tender kisses on his forehead.

Lola and Mendou walked forward. It seemed to Mendou that the ribbons of light sang a haunting melody, vibrating all around them. Gradually, throughout the shining walls, sparks of lights, sometimes red, sometimes yellow, purple or pink appearing and disappearing before his eyes. The show was magical. And there, in the distance he saw what Lola had spoken of, this morning star whose shine was so fascinating. Lola took the hand of the little boy began to float, flying toward the star.

The brightness was even more pervasive, yet so sweet. Mendou was not blinded at all. This light so strong, iridescent, did not harm to his eyes. All around an aura of assorted colors showed itself. While behind him Mendou seemed to perceive a distant sob, a welcoming song greeted our visitors. The bright light of the star wrapped Mendou in a gleaming coat, while gradually the outline of the little boy disappeared in the shining star.

Beyond the clouds, the light of a new star was rising, the shining spark of a diamond on the heavenly board of the firmament covering the world and its brightest hope.

End