Rainbow

Beyond the cracked sidewalk, and the telephone pole with layers of flyers in a rainbow of colors, and the patch of dry brown grass there stood a ten-foot high concrete block wall, caked with dozens of coats of paint. There was a small shrine at the foot of it, with burnt out candles and dead flowers and a few soggy teddy bears. One word of graffiti filled the wall, red letters on a gold background: Rejoice!

As she walked past, she felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She hurried her steps and looked frantically around. There was nothing scary in sight but her instincts told her to run and get the hell out of that place. The street was deserted due to the cold rainy weather which could have made everything scarier for her tiny self. She hurried to the convenience store and as she moved further from the concrete building her fear subsided but the words kept echoing in her head; REJOICE, REJOICE!

She came home to the blasting sound of television in the living room. Musky? Is that you baby? No it cant be; youre long dead remember? The woman moved closer to the little girl who was frozen at the door, her eyes fixed on the tall frame in front of her. With a handful layers of dirty clothing and some filthy bed sheets wrapped around her body, her smelly unruly hair cut short on one side with a kitchen knife; she was no different from the usual homeless person seen on the streets daily. She kneeled down in front of the little girl, cupped the girls face with both her hands, My poor baby! My poor baby they killed you my little princess! at that, the woman started wailing hysterically and the girl gently removed the womans hands from her face and walked to the kitchen.

She would not cry. She was strong. She had to be strong for mommy to get better and mommy was not mad; she was just sick and she was going to get better anytime soon; as long as she didnt cry. These were thoughts going through her tiny ten year-old brain. It had been almost a year since her father died, since they lost their home and moved in with a God sent elderly woman with whom they had no relation whatsoever. It had been almost a year since her beautiful mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Life was bearable when momma took her medication but sometimes she did not and life got scarier for poor Rainbow. Granny Adams had gone to see the doctor and had sent Rainbow to the shop for something to make breakfast. She had been too hungry to remember giving momma her medication, hence the situation she found at home.

She made some scrambled egg, poured some milk in a glass and sent it over to her mother who had since stopped her wailing and was seated by the window I calmly; maybe a little too calm for the girls terrified self. Rainbow approached slowly and ever so cautiously placed the food by her mother who seemed nonchalant by her daughters presence next to her. The girl tapped her shoulder gently and called out, Mom? I made breakfastoh and heres your medicine. Sorry I forgot. The woman turned slowly to face the girl and a look of recognition swept through her lipstick-smudged pale face, Oh baby! My poor baby, thank you princess. Mommy will get better for you okay? she looked solemnly at her daughters terrified face. It was agonizing to see her little princess in that state; she had to get better, fight for her frozen accounts and buy a house for herself and her little princess because her husband, Michael was coming home to them. She picked at the food while contemplating on the matter during that tiny moment of sanity where she could properly reason. It lasted only a couple minutes, however, and then the demon in her rose again...

Within a heartbeat she lurched to her feet and threw the plate in the air. The girl ducked for cover as the plate came crushing down the wall; leaving a white and yellow smudge from the food. Her large blue eyes were livid; searching frantically for little Rainbow. She spotted her and grinned hellishly at her daughter. The girl stole a glance at her mother and curled up her body. She covered her head with both her hands and waited for the attack. She closed her eyes and started counting backwards from fifty; a habit she had developed to stop her from crying so that her schizophrenic mother wouldnt kill her for crying since it seemed to irritate her more when she cried.

forty-six, forty-five, forty-four she was seized by the neck of her sweater and hurled upwards. She came crashing on the coffee table with her back and bruised her arm in the process. It was nothing; she was used to worse than that. Her mother was hurling insults at her in the process, Always a rainbow after the rains my foot! What kind of rainbow is this huh? Useless bitch?! You killed my husband and took all my money! Where is my Michael huh? she grabbed the girl by the hair and shook her vigorously, The police favor you and say Im crazy! CRAZY?! See whos crazy now huh? she released the girls face and slapped her hard across the face. Her lip tore and blood ran down her bony chin. It hurt, it was terrifying but she did not cry; she could not cry anymore. Momma was sick and it would all be over soon.

At the sight of the girls blood, the woman suddenly felt sick and ran to the bathroom. Without thinking, Rainbow followed her in and took the sedative granny Adams kept handy for such situations from the medicine cabinet. Her mother was wiping her mouth unsuspectingly after throwing up from the sight of blood when Rainbow shot her with the sedative from behind. It did not take much and her mother was fast asleep. She hated doing this but she knew she had to do it for both their sakes.

She was starting to doze off next to her mother when the doorbell rang. Like an automatic, Rainbow sprung to her feet and went to answer the door. It was the pizza kid from the local pizza outlet about thirty minutes from where they resided. Granny Adams always ordered a little pizza for Rainbow on days when she would not be home for the whole day or maybe running a little late. She felt guilty and scared leaving the little girl alone with her sick mother, but then, there was nothing she could do because poor Rainbow was socially withdrawn and had since developed a phobia towards people in general. As a result, the old woman had then resorted to leaving the girl behind when she ran some errands.

Err, hi. I have a delivery for miss Rainbow Summers? recited the boy as he usually did. He was a welcome sight. Rainbow did not smile but her eyes sparkled at the sight of the boy. She looked at him and the boy smiled warmly at her. She took the parcel and signed for it. The pizza kid had on the usual khaki pants he always wore, some black worn-out Converse sneakers and a black round necked T-shirt. There was nothing special about his outfit except when he turned to go, the writing on the back of his T-shirt struck a familiar cord in Rainbows brain; it was the exact same thing she had seen on that concrete wall earlier that morning: red letters on a gold background; Rejoice!

There it was! No wonder it had seemed familiar when she saw it earlier. She placed the pizza box on the floor and ran outside with the intention of catching up to the boy and ask him what the word was about. She was curious as to why it had seemed to her like someone had died in that place and if so, why the boy was wearing clothing associated with death with so much ease and indifference.

As the boy closed the gate he saw the girl standing halfway between the front of the cottage and the gate. It looked like she had something to say to him. He paused and looked at her questioningly but she just stood there and gawked at her. He always wondered what went on in that Adams household. The people in there seemed somewhat weird and scary too, especially the woman whom he would sometimes find wandering outside aimlessly.

He was staring at her with questioning eyes and she wanted to call out to him but her voice never came out. It had been almost six months since she had spoken to anyone other than her mother. She never even spoke to Mrs. Adams but that never bothered the old woman as she understood the reason why the girl behaved in that manner.

The pizza kid moved closer and Rainbow did not run and hide as she usually did. He spoke to her and her mind seemed to freeze, Did you forget something? Silence. He probed again, Its okay; you can speak to me. What is it that you wanna tell me huh Muskyyour names Musky right? he enquired gently but she just stood there frozen in one spot. When he was just a step closer, he stood there and looked at the girl with a mixture of sadness and frustration.

Life was cruel. Life was unfair, who had made the poor girl like that? The boy wondered to himself. Somehow she reminded him of poor Gram who had committed suicide right at the church premises. It made him uneasy. For some strange reason he felt guilty that poor Gram had to do that without anyone noticing. After a solid five minutes of waiting for her to speak, he turned to walk away; consoling himself with the fact that he would be back to deliver pizza at the Adams cottage and that hopefully, the girl would come around and finally speak to him then.

She saw him slowly turn and a voice in her head told her that maybe whatever was inscribed on the boys clothing was her door to finding help for her mother. Somehow the words Rejoice read HOPE in her brain. She surprised both herself and the boy when she suddenly lurched forward and grabbed him by the T-shirt. He was taken aback and a little frightened as to what she was going to do next. However, something told him not to turn around and face her as he had come to realize that it could frighten the girl further from his experience with the late Gram. They remained in that position for a while. The girl was breathing heavily and he could feel her hand shaking where she was holding him by the T-shirt. She released her hand and slowly moved her fingers across the words. It was then that the boy realized what had made the girl so curious; it were the words written on his clothing. It was very common around that part and maybe the girl could have known about it had she been from a normal household, Oh youre curious about the words? Silence. He turned ever so slowly and looked at her small curious face. She just stared back at him and said nothing.

Oh, this is just a T-shirt for the choir I joined at churchwanna come? Much to his astonishment, she nodded and brushed past him straight to his bike and stood there, waiting for him. For a split second he was stunned and the he came around, No dear girlI kinda meant like as in youre welcome to come say maybe on Sundaynot like right now, now. He said and gently removed her hand from his motorbike. She looked hurt but he couldnt afford to be arrested for kidnapping at only fifteen years! She touched the bike once more and made a beeline to the cottage where she disappeared and left the door open.

He shook his head and climbed on his bike, determined to leave the Adams cottage as fast as he could. He brought his hand to the ignition; the key was gone. Her mighty creepiness had stolen the keys to his bike and his boss was going to kill him! Either way, there was no way he was going to enter that housebut then again, there was no way he was going to lose his job. He took one step towards the house and out came the strange girl with a large backpack on. He was startled, Woo, wait I cant take you with me, I dont wanna go to juvenile prison and I dont have a place for you to stay too. Besides, your grandma will look for you and I dont even know your name. The pizza kid was shaking with agitation, anxious for her to leave. She did not listen to him and kept pulling at his clothes.

She stumbled to the road when he gave her a shove and they both did not see the oncoming truck. There was a thud and tyres screeching. Within a split second, the girl was lying on a tiny pool of blood. The boy ran to the scene. It felt like he was living his worst nightmare when he saw the driver; it was his father. Father and son stared blankly at each other for a split second then, in unison they lifted the girl onto the pickup truck and drove away from the scene as fast as they could. They drove in silence towards the boys place of abode.

When the ride ended, she was lifted again. The kid slid her body onto a soft pile of clothing among the boxes in the garage. He pulled an old coat over the top, creating a cave that emanated the sweetness of old ladies who frequently powdered themselvesa light rose motif that played ironically well in the deep recesses of Rainbows ancestral brain. The pizza kid lifted her head to help her lap water from a hubcap. He broke bits of pepperoni and crust into bite-sized pieces and left them where her tongue could reach them. Much later, she heard him practicing his orations like songs. Like monks chanting in the distance, they were a comfort.

Her body was hurting but she felt at peace; no one was shouting at her, no one was screaming and most importantly she was out of that hell-house. All other things didnt matter at that moment; she just had to take a sip and sleep. Yes; she would sleep to her hearts content and then when she woke up, thats when she would think about everything clearly. Suddenly she felt cold, it was getting colder by the second. She tried shifting closer to the warmer clothes in the box but suddenly everything was blurry and she just had to sleep.

Oh no! What had he done?! Most importantly, what would his wife think of what hes become? He had promised her on her deathbed that he would quit drinking and take care of their son as best as he could. Now the boy was a high school dropout delivering pizza for a living with barely enough to feed himself and his alcoholic father. As if the universe hadnt punished him enough; he had to be at that spot the very minute his kid shoved the little girl onto the road. Anyone else could have thought it was a planned accident. He decided to go check on the little girl at the garage where they had dumped her without saying anything about it.

She was cold, unusually cold and she was getting paler by the second. He touched her once more and lifted both his hands to his head. He stood up and kept pacing up and down the garage; contemplating on what to do next. He couldnt afford to go to prison, not right then. He took a closer look at the seemingly lifeless body of the little girl, she seemed to be moving. That was it! He was taking her to the hospitalwait! That would be like knocking at the prison gate waiting to be let in. He lifted her up and put her down again. The clothes she was sleeping on were soaked in blood. Quickly he covered them with the coat he had taken earlier from the pile and took the kid to his pickup truck.

Seriously John, you are luck me and you come a long way; I could have called the police the minute you walked through with that kid in your arms. What on earth were you looking at? he enquired emotionally. John, the pizza kids father just stared blankly at his childhood friend, Maxwell who was a veterinary surgeon. Taking the kid there was his only option since he couldnt take her to a hospital in fear of being taken in by the law.

I still dont get how shes still alive after such a hemorrhage. We need to do the transfusion right away before she goes into cardiac arrest because even the strongest metals melt at the right temperature. John bared his arm which Max swapped with alcohol and started the process. There was no human blood at the animal clinic so they transferred the blood directly from his veins to the little girls. The vet looked at his friend who was sober than normal, Sowhats the kids name again? John just stared at him blankly and dropped his shoulders.

Meanwhile the pizza kid sat in church enjoying the free lunch that was provided for the less fortunate like him. It was his favorite; a classic tuna sandwich with just the right amount of crunch and creamy mayonnaise. Two kids he knew through the church youth choir gave him their share since they were allergic to sea food. He thanked them and made to devour it all but then he remembered the poor little girl from earlier. Oh no! He had rushed to work and forgot all about her! What if something bad had happened to her back home? That thought alone was enough to make him jump to his feet, to the amazement of the others. He went rushing out the door like a madman.

He checked the box and she was not there, save for her bag. He searched frantically around but she was nowhere to be seen so he went back inside his fathers garage, which also served as their home. Something nagged at his thoughts; how could a girl that scruffy own such a clean, new and seemingly expensive bag? It just didnt add up so he resorted to opening it up and look up its contents.

There was a pink beautiful princess dress, white ballet shoes, a Princess Sofia doll, sleepwear, a water bottle and other convenient clothing. Everything in the bag screamed money. The bag had a tag with the name ‘Rainbow Summers’ and what looked like an address of the owner but he couldnt make it up since most of the letters were scratched away, seemingly on purpose. He jumped to his feet at the sound of his fathers truck. There was a hoot and the kid rushed to open up. He closed the door as soon as the vehicle was inside.

Oh good youre home, we need to talk. Fetch me my beer will you? the kid did as he was told and sat close but far enough to dodge when his unpredictable father decided to hit him as he always did. The girl in the truck, whats her name boy mhhh? there was no answer, the boy just shook his head to the negative. The man was perplexed, You go around sleeping with little girls now huh? You wanna go to jail, is that it? his face was then redder than before and the poor boys eyes darted around the garage. He was searching for a good spot to hide in case his dad went predator on him. To his surprise, his father did not hit him; he just gave a deep sigh and dropped his shoulders.

Well, I guess we just gotta let her sleep the meds off and then send her back where it all happened, huh? the boy ruffled his hair in agitation, She had a backpack onmaybe she was travelling somewhere or she was lost around there? And Dad…I wouldnt sleep around with little girls. Mom would come down from heaven and slit my throat. At the mention of his wife, poor John gave another sigh and decided to let his son make whatever decision pertaining the little girl. After all it was him who brought food to the table anyway. He just needed a drink real badand then, he would go to bed and forget about the day.

She woke with a start. Where was she? Why wasnt someone waking her up and why was her mother so quiet to let her sleep until the sun was that much up? Oh no! What if she hadnt taken her medication yet? She jumped to her feet and came crashing down the car seat again after banging her head hard against the roof of the truck. She looked aroundthere was a scary, heavily bearded man asleep on an ancient ragged sofa by the corner and right at the center of the room by a door-less sedan was the pizza kid on a much comfortable car seat. He was asleep too. She sat still and focused. After a while the activities of the previous day started playing one after the other in her genius head until the very end where she had lost consciousness.

She smiled to herself and got off the truck. The boy was awaken by the sound of the car door slamming. He looked up and found the girl seated yoga style next to her bag. He cleared his voice to capture her attention but she just sat there; seemingly unfazed by him. It was when he moved over and tapped her shoulder that she actually turned and looked at him. Those large green eyes bored deep into his soul. It made him uneasy but there were questions he needed answered.

Oh good youre awake. Sowhats your name and why did you insist on riding with me to town yesterdayyour family will be worried sick by now. She just stared unblinkingly at him. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine. She was so thin and scary, and she reminded him of dead people and ghosts and all kinds of scary stuff. Okay, I get it you dont talk to strangers or whatever but if Im to help you then you gotta talk to me coz I cant be arrested for kidnapping, no. his voice registered a little desperation. It was so frustrating. What kind of a monster abused a kid to the point of no talking?! He touched her shoulder again and she just continued staring at him like he was some kind of god.

He remembered something from movies he used to watch; shed held onto him wanting to ride to town with him and whenever he touched her shoulder she did not flinch- maybe she trusted him. However, he could not count on that untilwait! He walked to his father and shook him vigorously, Dad wake up! We gotta take the girl back remember? the old man quickly staggered to his feet, My wifes deadwhatwhat girl are you referring to Peter boy huh? he enquired innocently. Peter just let him go back to bed then splashed some cold water on his face to which he jumped back to his feet more steadily; seemingly fully awake at last, Damn it Peter, would you quit doing that?!

The girl was then sitting facing the two. Her eyes were full of amazement but she wasnt scared, however; just really fascinated by the events which were unfolding in front of her eyes. The older of the two resembled a grizzly bear with his then wet hair and large unruly brown beard. Back then she would have laughed or smiled but she just sat there, with her eyes being the only thing that showed what emotion she was feeling.

The girl, Dadyou said to take her back home remember? at that, his father looked around until his eyes rested on the little girl. Their eyes met for a split second and she seemed to shrink back into her shell. Oh that; well I found her with you, so naturally shes your responsibility dont you think? at that he shook his head vigorously to release the water from his hair. It just made the situation worse but after he had looked directly at her, the girl did not find the situation funny anymore; she just found the man even more unsettling.

Okay DadI will see to it then. Looking at the girl, Follow me, will you? she silently obliged and quickly followed the boy outside where he gestured for her to get on his bike before taking off in the direction of the church. He parked at the entrance then walked her to the shelter for the homeless. There was a kind looking man who greeted them warmly, Uhm Father Johnson this is Rainbow. Im sorry I have to rush to workmaybe you two will get along well. He rushed outside and the kid ran after him. She grabbed at his clothes and refused to let go. The Reverend followed them shortly.

Its okay my child, we will take good care of you here and take you home safely huh. Tears welled up in her eyes at the mention of the word home. The man of God thought she just didnt want to be left in an unfamiliar place full of strangers. All lost and homeless kids brought to him always did that anyway. He consoled himself that she was going to be alright after a few days anyway and then he would take her to a kids shelter or something. He gently urged her to come with him but she was very reluctant and kept on tugging at the pizza kids clothes. The boy thought to shove her away but then remembered the events of the previous day, Okay lets make a deal; Ill come check on you after work and then you can tell me all about it huh? she looked suspiciously at him but her grip loosened, Seriously dear I promise to come backREJOICE remember? at that she let go and gave him what looked like a vague smile. The Reverend looked from one kid to another in astonishment. There seemed to be a rather strong bond between them, and what was that about rejoice Peter had mentioned to the little girl?!

The Reverend put a comforting hand on the girls shoulder on their way back inside and she shrugged it off immediately and hugged her bag ever so tightly. She looked troubled. There seemed to be a lot of work that needed to be done on her mental wellness and she looked malnourished too. Rejoice?!! Maybe taking her to the practice room could help?

So welcome to The Gods Children Worship Center. They stopped next to an elderly woman, Gracia, meet Rainbow here. She just came in with Peter Anderson a little while ago. The old woman smiled sweetly at the girl and extended her hand for a handshake of which Rainbow ignored and continued staring at the floor. The Reverend warned, Oh careful; our little miss here does not like physical contact that much. I do, however, believe that taking her straight to the Rejoice practice room could ease the tension around a little. He said gesturing his head in the direction of Rainbow. The old woman did as she was told and took her where Peter and his friends practiced for their choirs performances.

Here we are dearlucky you they wont practice until tomorrow so you can look around to your satisfaction. Come get me where you found me with Father Johnson if you need anything okay? the girl looked at her but did not nod. The older woman hesitated before leaving her behind alone. It was standard, she had seen better that that but after such a long time seeing musical instruments, she loved it. It was amazing andwait, was that a piano? She dropped her bag onto the floor and started circling the piano, polishing it and smiling to herself. Yes, she was actually smiling for the first time in two years!

Good Lord! Reverend, remember when I told you that I passed by the music room numerous times and that girl was still sitting by the piano holding the microphone like that? the Reverend peered through the studios glass door and true to Gracias words she was still there; like a singer ready to deliver the performance of a lifetime, the only problem was that instead, she had been seated like that for over five hours and when they tried getting her to move she had just glared at them. The old woman thought to call the social welfare services but the Reverend asked to wait until Peter returned, and so they waited for Peters arrival like a woman waiting for her long lost husband to come home.

Peter was surprised to find everyone waiting for his promised return when he walked through the door. The Reverend was first to greet him, Oh thank God you came back! We were worried sick by the girl you brought earlier. I get the feeling she loves singing but she wont talk to any of us around here; even the kids her age and she definitely hates any form of physical contact too. He took Peter to the music room and waited outside. He couldnt dare enter in case he frightened the little girl further. Peter walked in and sat right next to her. All eyes were on them outside the door.

Hey there. So I gather you really love music huh? silence, So whats going on here? Wanna take a short trip to the bathroom. Silence again. He stood up and opened an adjacent door, Bathrooms that way Miss Summers. To everyones amazement she stood up and actually went to the bathroom. Peter stared back at their onlookers questioningly; he was confused as much as they were but why did they keep staring at him in such awe like he had just performed some sort of miracle?!

After a little while Rainbow re-emerged from the bathroom and sat back at the piano again. Peter felt disappointed that she was back there again but he hid it well and just talked to her like it was normal for her to be there for so long in one position doing nothing, Sowhats your favorite song huhwe will be having some sort of talent show in two weeks time. There will be some celebrity, their name hasnt been confirmed yet but apparently the winner will get fifty thousand bucks in cash and be signed by that celebs recording label. Her emerald eyes sparkled at those words and there was color to her cheeks too.

They say just enough hope is powerful enough to overcome fear; no matter how great the fear is. This proved to be true for poor Rainbow as her eyes glittered at Peter. His name was Peter. She looked at him and wondered if he had any idea just how much he had brought her back to life again; just how much it all meant to him and just how many blessings were coming his way at that moment, What? You are kind of staring at me in a very weird way and its a lot more unsettling than the usual also unsettling stareoh wait, I know! You my dear Rainbow, are interested in the talent show right? for the second time since hed talked to her she nodded, much to the Reverend and Gracias awe.

After that Peter related the whole story of how he got to know the girl and everything that had happened including the accident to the Reverend and Sister Gracia. He begged the Reverend not to contact the police or the Social Welfare services department until after the day of the talent show. Somehow he was hopeful that the girl would come around then, and if not; then he would have tried his best to help a soul on this earth to prevent them from ending up like poor Gram. At first they were reluctant but after seeing how the poor girl looked at Peter they agreed and just made up a story for the rest of the people who frequented the church about the girl being Peters younger sibling.

She still did not talk to anyone or let anyone get close to her other than Peter but at least she was more responsible for her looks and everyone was amazed at how beautiful she actually was. Her body too was gaining most of its lost fat and her skin got healthier. The counselling sessions she was attending at church did just about nothing yet pertaining her social behavior and everyone understood that she needed more time and effort because seemingly, her psychological scars ran a little too deep. In all that there was one slight problem; she never sang nor played the piano; she just kept staring at it like she had done the first time. No matter how much Peter begged for her to practice, she just shook her head no and watched him sing instead. The day of the competition finally came by. Peter brushed up his best outfit and gave Rainbow a tiny fluffy bear wearing an even tinier t-shirt with the word REJOICE hand-sewn to it. He had made it especially for her. It made her happy so much she actually hugged him. Somehow Peter had managed to ask Granny Adams to come too. However, he couldnt bring Rainbows mother to come too due to her mental illness which was worsening by the day.

Soon it was Rainbows turn on stage. All eyes were on Peter. Most of those who knew their relation were scared for him and some just openly mocked him about his silent sister. He was skeptical too. He thought to himself that it was madness; there he was backstage cheering on a girl whom hed never heard sing; let alone hear her speak. After her cue she walked to the piano, took a seat and looked at the crowd in front of her. This was it; she had to do it for Momma, she had to do it for Peterand most importantly; she had to do it for her. She smiled at the audience, cleared her voice and sang skinny love. There was complete silence even after she had done the last note. People looked sad. A couple of judges were wiping tears. She turned and looked at Peter sorrowfully. He gave her a thumbs up, grinning from ear to ear and wiping a tear or two. Heaven knew she had tried. Her eyes were watering. Thats when it came; the cheering, the screaming. People were shouting her name and the judges were on their feet. One judge silenced the crowd and said one thing to her, Thank you. Everyone roared with happiness. She bowed for them and came crushing into Peters arms, Yes Rainbow; hug me even tighter because right now, Im very proud of you. He wiped her tears and gave her some water. They sat for an hour or so then it was time to announce the winners. Rainbow was shaking but Peter assured her that whatever the results were, she was already a winner in life.

The gorgeous music icon was the one who made the announcement, Thank you everyone for such a wonderful evening. You gotta admit; theres lots of talent around here huh? people cheered and clapped to the affirmative, Unfortunately we only have a price for only the best today so its just one name and then we go home huh? Trust me, it was a very tough decision for the judges to make with so much talent showcased tonight everyone was holding their breath, Rainbow Summers, thank you my dear and welcome to Shining Stars Music! she held out her arms and the girl walked skeptically into them. It was like a dream; a very beautiful one at that but when she secretly pinched herself it hurt: it was real, she had done it! She looked around and let the cheering sink in. She let the joy rush through her. REJOICE: it meant happiness and happiness opened the door to new hopes; that it was not the end, that she could be happy again. The judge asked, Somy dear Rainbow, what inspired you to enter this competition? she lifted her doll and pointed the word Rejoice much to the singers intrigue, REJOICE? Why that word Im curious? The girl smiled and looked at Peter. Because of him her mother will be healed. They will regain their frozen millions, they will have a new proper home and poor Peter had no idea just how rich he would become, It gave me hope. She pointed at Peter, He gave me Hope. The crowd cheered and she ran into Peters arms once more; yes it was true: just the right amount of hope could overcome the greatest fears*