I did it! finally! I got myself back to the Quays and took the photo I promised me. Yeah, yeah, I know I look fatigued and out of sorts but who cares? In the scheme of my life, do I really care how a stark stranger feels about how I look?
The most important thing is I dragged myself back there and took that photo. How else can I write about Pride Month without a photo of me in it? The moment, that day when I ambled past this monument, this article began writing itself in my head.
June. Pride Month. The Rainbow.
What is it all about anyway?
I will err on the side of caution and say I have no LGBTQ experience to share but the Rainbow I totally understand. That is one symbol I have known probably before I could wipe my nose.
The Rainbow. That mysterious sign which occasionally shows up briefly in the sky after a rainfall.
Image of a rainbow I took
The Altar, Covenant & the Seal
How do I explain this to a 5-year old?
“Hey Sweetie, you remember back at the beach when you made that promise with your Ochuko?
“Yes mommy”
“You recall crossing your pinkie fingers together?”
“Yes, mama”
“And you remember the marble you brought home?
“Yes, the black one on my window sill”
“Remind me again why you brought it home?”
“Because Ochuko said it was not enough to cross our pinkies. That we should use the stones as a reminder. So any time we miss each other, then we can stand by the window and look at the marble”
“So how does it make you feel each time you do that?”
“I think of her. Then I send her a message in my head. Then I feel better”
“Aha! that is what the rainbow is”
“Which rainbow, mama?”
“How many rainbows are there?”
“There are rainbows everywhere. In the shops, clothings, bottles and in school, they said June is the month of the rainbows”
“Alright baby, let me explain what the rainbow means to us. And don’t get it twisted, there is only one rainbow. The Rainbow is like your marble with your friend. It is a monument that God erected at the altar as a sign of a covenant”
“You made a pinkie with God?”
“Not me, baby. Well, technically I was there because there was a clause in the treaty which included me. And you. And your children with their children”
An excerpt from the Bible
“So who did God make the covenant with?”
“Noah. Once upon a time, when the peoples of the world were so bad that God wanted to destroy the earth, he changed his mind afterwards. He made this deal with Noah after the flood and sealed it with the rainbow. That, my dear child is why the appearance of the rainbow is so comforting. It reminds me of victory. Of a loving father who always holds his word. Each time it shows up, it is a stark reminder telling us that no matter how heavy the rain is, we are safe”
“Wow, mama that is so reassuring. So the heavy rain is like Ochuko and I at the beach. Then the rainbow is like our marbles?
“Yes my dear. The beach was the altar where you and your friend entered into that agreement. Then you have the marbles as..
“I get it now mommy. So it is not about the things they sell at the shops? I will have to explain it to her when next we meet since this is different from what we have been told”
“I apologise, my dear. It was my fault. I missed the law of first mention”
“The law of what?”
“First mention. It is my duty as your parent to ensure you learn the basics of life first from home before you hear it from outside. I missed that and I am sorry”
“So this law of first mention…..”
“Not today sweetheart. Not today. That, in itself is entirely another masterclass.
