My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky Part I

Joming Lau
June 17th, 2001

I stepped out of the car, into the sparkling spring afternoon. Even in the heart of the urbanized city, the air was brisk, from the rain that had just fallen. I breathed in deeply, savouring each breath. I looked up at the sky, and scanned across the horizon. The setting sun cast its golden warmth over the land, causing trails of wispy white to emanate from the ground. Magnificent dark clouds towered over the landscape, utterly dwarfing the buildings below. It burgeoned upwards, as if rearing its sable head to acknowledge the setting sun. It was at that boundary between the light and dark that I first saw it. A glimmer. A glimmer of colour that slowly grew into a ray, a multihued ray that arced across the sky, piercing the bland monotone cacophony of the cloud covered heavens. The rainbow glimmered before me, seeming to fade and bloom all at once. It is moments like these that make my heart leap up when I am given the privilege to behold them.

Then from across the parking lot, my dad calls my name. Looking over, he is frantically pointing to his watch. Looking at my own watch, I realize I am late for dinner with my relatives. As I walk towards the restaurant door, I glance back at the scene of beauty, and realize it has vanished, as if it was never there. I sigh and walk inside to the Chinese restaurant, entering the atmosphere of frantic eating, with its fragrant wafts of tantalizing food, blaring colors and smothering clang of dishes. Along with these are the loud ranting of the voices of people, the piercing wails of babies, and the sudden outbursts of laughter. If it’s not loud, it’s not a “real” Chinese restaurant. My heart leaps up at the thought of dining on some fine cuisine and seeing my relatives.

Next