100 Themes Challenge - 013 -Gray

Gray

Splinter emerged from his quarters to check on his six-year-old sons. He had entrusted them to engage in quiet activities and look after each other while he meditated. He was pleased to see that they had complied.

Michelangelo and Donatello, his two youngest, sat at the table with papers, crayons, and pencils scattered all over. They engaged in their own conversation all the while.

Leonardo and Raphael sat in the living room; Leo watching cartoons (as always) and Raph looking through the pictures in a comic book he could not yet read.

“I can see you have all found ways to quietly entertain yourselves,” he praised. “Thank you for cooperating.”

“You're welcome, daddy,” Leo was the only one that spoke up.

Splinter looked over Raph's shoulder at what he was 'reading'. “Raphael, are you able to read any of that?” he asked.

Raph shook his head. “I can read some of the words, but not a lot of em. I'm mostly just looking at the pictures. Leo doesn't watch anything good on TV, and all Mikey and Donnie wanna do is draw and color.”

Splinter chuckled. “I'm sure in time you will be able to read the whole thing.”

Raph shrugged and returned to looking at pictures.

Splinter went into the kitchen and sat between Mikey and Donnie.

Mikey smiled. “Hi, Daddy. You have a nice nap?”

“My son, I wasn't napping. I was meditating,” he corrected with a light smile. “What are you drawing?”

“Outside,” Mikey replied. “See? That's the sky, and that's the ground, and over there is some water.”

“That is lovely,” Splinter grinned. “You are quite the artist. How about you, Donatello? What are you drawing?”

“Solar system,” Donnie mumbled

“I see. Have you been reading about astronomy?”

Donnie nodded.

“Very nice.” Splinter observed the picture and noticed something off about it. “Why is there no color in your drawing, my son?”

Donnie shrugged. “I don't really like the colors.”

Mikey gasped. “You don't like the colors?! Well...how come? They're so pretty!”

“I just don't really believe in them.”

“You do not believe? What do you mean? Colors are all around you,” Splinter said.

Donnie sighed. “I mean I do believe in some colors: gray, black, white, red...I just don't believe that they exist...out there...”

“Of course they do,” Mikey chirped. “Haven't you seen the stuff on the TV? The sky is blue, the ground is green, sometimes black, sometimes brown, the trees are green, the people are all kinds of colors, and so are the animals.”

“But that's my point,” Donnie argued. “Sensei, you told us that everything we see on TV isn't real, and I've only seen those things on TV. Mikey, have you ever seen a blue sky with your own eyes?”

Mikey thought hard. “Uh...”

“..or green grass or brown dirt, or black pavement, or even a yellow sun?”

Mikey frowned. “No...”

“Then how can you believe it's there? You know you can't trust the TV.”

Splinter shook his head. “Donatello...”

Donnie sighed. “I drew and colored my solar system with a pencil because that's the only color I see, so it's the only color I believe exists. I don't care what my books say.”

Mikey's lip quivered. “No, there has to be colors...”

Splinter patted him on the shoulder for reassurance. “Of course there are colors out there, my sons.”

“How do you know that?” Donnie groaned.

“I have seen,” Splinter replied. “My sons, I used to live on the surface when I was human. I have told you this before.”

“I-is there a sun a-and a blue s-sky...and green tr-rees?” Mikey pouted.

Splinter smiled. “Yes, Michelangelo, there absolutely is.”

Donnie looked down and shook his head in disbelief.

“However, my sons, in spite of it's beautiful colors, it was the grayest world I had ever known.”

Both of his youngest sons looked confused.

“Allow me to explain. All of the colors that you have seen on TV, they exist, but down here in the sewers, there has been more color than I've known in my life for a very long time.”

“That's not possible, Sensei,” Donnie argued. “There's no color down here but gray and maybe some brown.”

“My life here with you is much more lively than it was when I lived alone on the surface, where I can see the colors, but not feel them, and when you cannot feel colors, everything simply looks gray.”

Donnie sighed.

“My son, you cannot just not believe in color because you cannot see it. You have to feel it to believe it,” Splinter went on. “Tell me, and be honest, what do you love about your life here?”

Donnie thought. “Well...I love my brothers, and you, and I love being able to read my books, and I love learning time, and sometimes watching TV, or hiking around the sewers...”

“Are you often deprived of these things?”

“No, most of them I get to do everyday.”

“Wanna know what I love?” Mikey piped up, standing on his chair with excitement.

Splinter chuckled. “What do you love?”

“I love daddy, and Donnie, and Leo, and Raphie, and coloring, and singing, and eating, and cooking, and drawing, and playing games, and watching TV, and swimming, and taking baths, and...”

“See? Michelangelo can feel a lot of color,” Splinter grinned at Donnie. “Now, tell me, are you happy with your life down here?”

Donnie nodded.

Mikey grinned. “Can I taste colors?” He picked up his yellow crayon. “I bet this one tastes like lemons.” He tried to put it in his mouth, but was stopped by his father.

“Do not fill up on crayons, my son or else you will spoil your dinner.”

Mikey and Splinter laughed. Donnie smiled.