Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Brown (11/26/09)
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TITLE: Brown - the Backdrop to Beauty | Previous Challenge Entry
By June Dickie
11/30/09 -
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I look at my friend Zuana. Some would call her "black" but she is no more "black" than I am "white". Her coffee complexion is smooth like satin, glowing with inner warmth. My tanned skin is but a lighter shade of hers, different points on the same continuum. But her covering of tawny gold protects her against the harsh African sun, whereas my paleness quickly becomes red and raw. Although of an age, her face is pulled tight like cling-wrap, whereas mine shows every creeping wrinkle. Chocolate and milk-bar … it's clear which has the better shelf-life!
The Identity Card she carries says her eyes are "brown", but to me they are leaping flames, never still, always darting here and there. She misses nothing, sitting quietly on the sidelines … watching, waiting, observing, and distilling. And if one looks into those liquid-amber pools of light, one sees the patient endurance with which she confronts her daily difficulties.
A laugh easily escapes her generous lips, and teeth like rows of snow-white pearls flash before me. Against the dark background, they dazzle in the sun, the perfect model for a toothpaste advert. The sun illumines her well-defined cheekbones, as a radiant glow slips through her smile.
Her hair is a darker shade of brown, but the color seems unimportant. Rather one is drawn to its texture, soft and spongy, like toasted candy-floss. One is tempted to touch it, as one would stroke the down on a duckling, but most of it is securely tucked away, wrapped in a bright head-scarf. Today this is tied in a bow behind, but for special occasions, she will elaborately tier the cloth into a dramatic head-dress, giving an elegance and dignity to her carriage. Her daughter's hair is pulled into tight short braids, each one tied with an elastic-band in psychedelic green or shocking pink. As the little girl tosses her head, a cascade of butterflies shimmer and dance.
Around her trim waist, Zuana drapes a "capalana" – a cloth of vivid oranges and yellows with a splash of blue. As she walks through the dusty street, she strikes an imposing picture. Although an illiterate village woman, she has a regal grace, and from years of balancing loads on her head, she walks with the deportment of a Swiss-finishing-school graduate. Her capalana and head-scarf, seemingly carelessly thrown together, reveal the skill of a fashion-designer. The vibrant patterns and bold, strong colors are combined with a casual dexterity.
Zuana, my Mozambican friend, my "brown" friend, is anything but nondescript. Rather her Nescafe coloring provides the perfect backdrop to show off her natural beauty. Combined in this woman from one of the poorest communities in the world are talents and poise that would be envied by millionaires. I'm glad that I have been able to get to know her, and to see beyond the surface. I am grateful that she has shown me the jewel of contentment that comes with being comfortable with who one is.
So is brown indicative of things "dull, drab, and dreary"? Not in my friend! Cinnamon skin, walnut eyes, nutmeg curls ... enough to spice and enhance all hues! Look carefully then beyond the brown, and see what it belies.
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