Colours

“Colours” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by Pachipala Aishwarya, Anchor Green Primary School, Singapore.

Colours

Colours play an important role in brand identity. It draws consumers to products, stirs emotions and has a huge impact on brand recognition. Let’s take a closer look at how colour impacts our emotions and behaviours.

I was a unique girl in my school, at home. I was different from everyone. While others felt emotions I used to express my feelings by describing understanding the colour of the situation. Although I was a special girl, my life was filled with boredom. Dull, Lifeless, Pale. It has been over a month since the onset of leukaemia ripped her away. The world has become discoloured. My mother used to say that life is coloured by circumstances and problems.

Yet all I can see is grey. “Is grey even a colour?” I questioned myself in the haste of my boredom

It was one of those days, my mind turned restless. In an attempt to free my mind, I left the house, allowing my wandering consciousness to search for freedom and peace.

One of my favourite place to visit when I needed time alone was the beach. Its immensity was of no concern to me, but in actual fact the ocean was calm, tranquil and vast full of life. The rolling waves crashing into each other and onto the beach below reached in lightly touching the feet of the children who were having a whale of time, playing in the sand before drawing its hand back into its body. Though I was not at the water’s side, it too reached deep into me for something unidentifiable. As I was leaving I observed again, the splendorous blue of the magnificent sea. I could feel the colour Blue, the calm colour of inner strength and peace.

The nearby park was a place of existence which was a stone’s throw away from the beach. It was a reminder of the perfect balance that nature had in place. If only my balance could be so perfect. It was a long walk before I could find a quiet location. Lying down on the spongy grass, the smell of the fresh nature was strong but soothing. Bringing back treasured memories of the time my mother was still here, when we would lie down and watch the sky run away as the world turned. The effortless gliding of the seagulls in the air, the crawling of the ants along the footpath but most of all the gentle swaying the trees above, the whispering between the leaves of the hidden knowledge they possessed. A solace. Today, however, was a much quieter day. The gulls stayed out at sea but a draft of air continued to blow in gently, lightly brushing at the trees. It was a serene atmosphere, nature always remained composed. I felt a part of it lying there on the luscious green grass. I shared myself with it. At that instant I was able to see the colour Green, a restful colour of renewal, balance and harmony.

The sun was lowering itself towards and below the horizon. It was the end of another day. People were beginning to leave, the city was slowing down. As the people gathered and left, the park emptied. The only sounds left were the cars heading south down the highway. It left an eerie feel. The end of a day signified the end of city life. Above the city, the sky displayed unparalleled beauty, coloured in countless shades of orange, and the darkest on the east stretching towards the golden sun where the shades of orange glowed brightly. The great star had lost its gleam from earlier in the day, its new colour was mellow with a hint of gold. To me, it represented hope. The setting of the sun indicated the end of the day but with that, it brought the prospect of a brand new one.

Orange, an energising colour of warmth and energy. Yellow, a cheerful colour of happiness and joy. It took a while to comprehend, but the natural world is full of beauty and unpredictable occurrences, but unlike the artificial world we live in, it is peaceful. Eventually all the colours returned to me.

Well, all but one. The colour red. The colour of love and affection. To me, there’s no one who can replace her, but now and again, I observe shades of pink, but only occasionally.

“Circumstances and situations do colour life but you have been given the mind to choose what the colour shall be.”