banana business

i was walking home the day after the storm, having ice cream, looking at the barrage of torn down properties the storm has left. i noticed the mangled banana trees on the vacant lot in font of my apartment. it was a satisfying realization as i chewed on the last of my ice cream cone... who would have thought they were actually growing the bananas there? i knew that one of my neighbors is a dealer/supplier of bananas. it took me three or four years, a storm and an ice cream cone to realize that the seemingly useless piece of land in font of my apartment is actually the foundation of a thriving banana business.

i guess sometimes, we only see the worth of some things when we look back at them after the storm. when we’ve become too familiar with some things, we have to back away a little to appreciate them… i guess sometimes… we have to see things after we’ve weathered the storm to erase the preconceptions we have… to see them as they really are. to see what they mean to our lives. to start over.

reminded me of the conversation we had during lunch. over lamb chops and chicken fillet, my aunt’s friend looked out the window and suddenly mentioned that things just seemed clearer after the storm. and as an afterthought, she said, "i guess that’s God’s promise to Noah."

rainbows, i thought.

“that’s rainbows”, my aunt added.

it’s true, after the storm comes the calm. the repose.

soon as i got home i started picking up the shards of broken glass which used to be my window. outside, everyone else is picking up the mess, coping with whatever they can make out of what’s left.

inside me, the storm is still raging like a madman on holiday. but i have faith in rainbows, i know the storm will end. and when it does, i’ll clean up the mess the storm has left. i will pick up the shards of broken glass, take out the trash, hang the wet rags to dry and i’ll grab my shades and face the sun. and when that happens, i know the sky will be clearer and bluer than ever. you’ll see.