Rainbow country

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

(continued, beginning)

And then again there was a hubbub, noise, flower voices were heard from the greenhouse, books from the shelves exchanged all sorts of thoughts and aphorisms with each other, glass jars and bottles bumped against each other and at the same time quarreled terribly.

- Come on, I'll show you something.

Leaving the hall, they again found themselves in a long corridor. But it was through, and in front of Lisa saw the light, but could not distinguish the exact picture, because everything was blurry. They approached the entrance, and the old man said:

- Here we will part with you. You will go forward, because you always go only forward, and I go back. I have to go back now.

- Where back?

- How where? To my pharmacy. After all, someone has to sell medicines to people and save them from pain. Someday you will do it too. But you don't need it now. Your happiness lies elsewhere. And my happiness along with my bubbles and flowers, books and medicines. Each age has its own purpose. Go, girl, and fear nothing. After all, if fear lives in you, then in this life you will not survive. Always look ahead and don't be afraid to make mistakes. By the way, as far as tea is concerned …

And he pulled out a small thermos from his pocket and handed it to Lisa.

- It's not just tea. This is a life-giving moisture that will give you strength and self-confidence. When the tea is over, you will find yourself in your usual surroundings. In the meantime, good hour.

And the old man suddenly disappeared into thin air.

"Miracles!" Thought Lisa and stepped forward. I had to close my eyes from the blinding light. When she opened them, she saw a small colored town in front of her. There were many flowers, little people and colorful houses. There was a rainbow over the city. Moreover, she smiled cheerfully, and if one of the little men suddenly stumbled or hit something, she lifted them with her invisible hand and put them in the right place. "Where am I?" - thought the girl.

But then something hit her leg and fell on her shoe. She lowered her head. And she had to do this, because all the men were small.

- What kind of tree did they put here? Have you seen, Kubrick?

- By the way, this is not a tree. And this is me, Lisa, my name is.

And then the little man jumped away in horror, cried and began to call for help. His friends came running and began to look at our heroine with surprise.

- Yes, it's Liza, - suddenly a voice came from somewhere. Lisa turned around and saw a small squirrel, which, laughing, was jumping on one leg.

- Well, we were warned that she would appear today, and you again stirred up a commotion.

- Yes, by the way, it's true. Hey! - and a small funny man in a funny cap pulled over his huge blue eyes stepped towards her.

- Hey! Who are you?

- We are the inhabitants of the Land of the Rainbow. She rules us and helps us in everything.

And all of a sudden everyone looked up. Rainbow smiled good-naturedly and greeted Lisa, showering her with a fountain of bright colored stars.

- Hello, Rainbow! I don't know how I ended up here and why, but somehow I ended up.

- It's just that nothing happens in life. And you are here for a reason either. So it was destined, - the warm voice of the Rainbow sounded from above.

“That's right,” Lisa replied.

“You were sent here just to go ahead and watch. More precisely, to observe and draw conclusions from what he saw. Go ahead, girl, and don't be afraid. Remember, you are not alone.

Then Liza noticed that the little men stopped paying attention to her and went about their business. Some were building houses, others were breaking, some were singing and dancing, others were picking fruits from which the trees burst. And Lisa made the following conclusion: someone in this life creates something, and someone just destroys it. And she went on. She began to come across houses less and less often. And then she was on the field. Before her lay a vast field of golden wheat. But it was lit by the sun, poppies and clovers were thinning around, bees were buzzing and there was a smell of flower sweetness. Liza was walking across the field, when she suddenly heard someone's plaintive voices. She lowered her head and realized that she had stepped on an anthill.

- Everyones go here, you know. They only crush you. And you keep working and working and no one knows why.

- Stop grumbling. It is known why. So that in winter it was warm and cozy, so that there was something to eat. And then you will sleep all summer, and then you will die of hunger.

- Sorry, I accidentally stepped on you.

“You all say that, but you’re pushing us all the same. If we are so small, it doesn’t mean anything.

- Yes, stop you, by God. This is Lisa. Don't you recognize her?

- No. Really, hello, Lisa.

She was no longer surprised at anything, or rather, she tried not to be surprised at what she saw. Therefore, she answered:

- Hey!

- Come and visit us.

- Thank you for the invitation, but you are so small that I cannot.

- And you just close your eyes and imagine that you are the size of us. Just imagine it clearly.

Liza closed her eyes and suddenly the ears of wheat flew up somewhere, the sun became simply huge, and the sky was boundless.

- Well, you see how simple everything is, - she heard clearly someone's loud voice, which until recently seemed to her just a squeak.

Lisa opened her eyes and saw a huge earthen city with many small houses and running ants. They did not seem like insects to her at all, they were like people.

- Come and visit me. But first, let's go to the store, otherwise my refrigerator is probably completely empty.

Walking a little forward, they saw the sign "Products" and went there. There were small rice, pieces of fruit and flowers, packed one at a time. But all this did not seem small. After all, Lisa herself was small now.

“I'm not hungry,” she said.

- Well, no, it is customary to treat our guests.

Taking everything they needed, and paying here not with money, to which Liza was very surprised, but with good words, they went home. It was a small house with a roof made of a piece of cabbage leaf, there was everything you need. And the bed, and the table and the kitchen. After dinner, Lisa thanked the ant for the hospitality and fell asleep. She woke up no longer in his cozy house, but on the field. By the way, before falling asleep, she began to think about money, about what she would need to buy when she returned. And thus she came out of the childish state of immediacy and purity, and her imagination let her down.

She got up, recovered and walked on. But, feeling thirsty, she remembered the thermos that the old man had given her. She drank a sip of tea and really felt more cheerful. But then the field was gone, and she again found herself on the road. She walked along the road ahead, but did not immediately notice that she was walking along the sea coast. The sun was shining brightly, the delicate turquoise surface of the ocean glittered in its rays, the wind barely rustled with huge palm leaves and fiddled with the soft white sand. Exquisite tea rose bushes, white dahlias, elegant irises and pink cyclamens filled everything around with a heady aroma. The air was filled with the scent of delicate coconuts, sweet bananas, exotic mangoes, papaya and juicy strawberries. Snow-white yachts swayed quietly on the green waves, and the seagulls sunbathed tiredly on the frozen sails. The day was quiet and sleepy. Everything seemed to be sinking into a calm and measured sleep. The virgin beach was empty. Even the hum of mosquitoes and the quiet footsteps of a turtle crawling on the sand could be heard. Large colored parrots and small lemurs dozed on palm vines, and swift chameleons moved lazily through the soft green grass.

The sun was at its zenith and mercilessly beamed with its rays. A barely perceptible warm sea breeze stirred the rose bushes and the delicate scent of a royal flower resounded in the air. The heat was very thirsty, and she again used the thermos. There were no people here. And Lisa realized that she needed to go through this stage of her imagination in silence, alone. You just need to think and reflect. Then she saw a huge yacht docking to the shore. She came closer. The yacht was empty. Lisa stepped onto the deck, and the yacht carried her gently over the waves. They sailed for a long time, but Lisa noticed one peculiarity: in this country, the Land of the Rainbow, it never got dark. It was dusk here, but it was never night. Suddenly the yacht stopped, Liza went ashore, and turning around, she saw how the sea, ships, and the whole marvelous landscape - everything disappeared.

She could not understand in any way where she was, the picture was so strange. Before her lay a vast desert. There was only sand all around and here and there cacti were visible. She saw a caravan and camels loaded with something. She came closer. The camel driver greeted her politely, calling her by name, she was no longer surprised, and invited her to go with them, warning that they had run out of water. To which Lisa replied that she had tea. And they hit the road. There was only one desert all around, there was not a single living soul, no oases, no vegetation. From time to time Liza was asked for tea, and by the end of the trip only half of the liquid remained in the thermos.

"Please help, I am burning in the sun, soon I will dry up," Liza heard someone's voice.

Looking ahead, she saw a small cactus staring at her pitifully. She poured it from her thermos and it came to life. But suddenly the picture began to change, and they found themselves in the oriental bazaar. A huge number of people, everyone is shouting something, precious stones sparkle all around, and gold is pouring in like a river, magicians show their numbers.

- Is this also Rainbow Country? - Liza asked the familiar camel driver.

- Yes, only in its various manifestations.

Lisa closed her eyes for a moment and woke up in another place. It was dark and quiet all around. There was only a groan. In the darkness, she made out a rose, the petals of which were falling mercilessly. Lisa opened the thermos and realized that if she now gives the last drop to the flower, the vision will dissipate. But looking at the rose again, she realized that she needed this liquid much more. She will survive and bloom further, and Lisa will simply disappear from the fairy tale. She sighed and poured the remaining drink over the flower. The rose immediately came to life, gratefully waved the reddened petals and evaporated.

And suddenly Liza flew somewhere. She flew for a long time, but could not understand where she was after all. Stars rushed around, bright and not very bright, planets circled, and clouds tossed her from one to another. Liza woke up on the same rainy street, it was still drizzling, but it was not so disgusting, she already wanted to live and just go forward. The rain no longer seemed so sad, and there were more umbrellas on the street. Lisa turned around, hoping to see the familiar pharmacy, but she was not there. She disappeared. Gone are the mysterious old man, funny bubbles, graceful flowers, and curious books. On the site of the pharmacy, there was an ordinary house, unremarkable.

It seems that nothing has changed. But Lisa herself has changed. She understood what she wanted: warmth, smiles and meetings. And she does not need the cold, the sun and parting at all. And she walked forward, proudly raising her head, not afraid to get wet in the rain, not afraid of anything. Her fear was gone. She realized that the main thing in this life is to love, appreciate and give each other joy and smiles.