(Wayan Sepi )
A Children’s Fable by
Charlotte Nitschke
About the Author Charlotte is a young student with a passion for humanity, conservation and the exquisite world around her. While completing a science degree at university, she aspires to spend her spare time travelling and volunteering for programs that promote quality of life for all. She has grown up with an extraordinary fondness for reading and loves nothing more than to delve into a fictional world for a little while. Charlotte is excited by life and eager to make a mark in the world. The idea for this story, in Indonesian language entitled Wayan Sepi, was inspired through witnessing several young boys from Lombok, Indonesia, have their sight restored and finally see life with clarity. “I was informed that their eyes flickered from side to side because they were taking in the light and trying to adjust to all the colours. A sweet six-year-old boy who saw his mother for the first time and was giddy with an exuberant happiness particularly moved me. I found myself overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude for eye sight - the truly intricate and complex workings of the eye that allow us to appreciate the spectacular world around us. I began imagining seeing an array of colours for the first time myself and soon enough, I was swept away in a magical land of colourful dragons and brave little fighters.”
Acknowledgements There were many inspirational people involved in the making of this children’s fable with an important message…that all of us need to protect our precious senses, the most important of which is sight. My sincere appreciation goes to all of those who work so hard at The John Fawcett Foundation, and in particular to Mr John Fawcett, who opened my eyes to the world of avoidable blindness and how a relatively simple operation can restore sight to those who are needlessly cataract blind. I am also indebted to Campuhan Media Production, Ubud, Bali, for agreeing to layout and illustrate this book. Finally, to my parents who encouraged me to make that first trip to Bali in November 2013. It was an adventure I shall always remember and that the results of which I hope have been captured in this story.
( Wayan Sepi ) A Children‛s Fable by
Charlotte Nitschke
This book is dedicated to children throughout the world who are needlessly suffering from cataract blindness.
2014
A long time ago, darkness captured the world. Colours were no more. Deep in the heart of a Bali rainforest nestled a small village. Black trees, a white sky, grey grass, a patchwork of grey shades. For the young of the village, ‘colours’ was just an idea... an unreachable fantasy, a story passed down by the village elders. The young and old gathered eagerly near the market where the elders basked in the sun, veiled in a cloud of cigarette smoke.
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With wide eyes and wondering minds, the children listened to the legend of the Colour
Thief. “A long time ago”, said the elders, “where the blinding sun rose over the mountains, a volcano erupted once a year, spurting with colour, splashing the world with blistering brightness.” “But in the sky above soared a wicked winged creature, with scales every colour of the rainbow. The Colour Thief, they called him. For it was he who stole the precious colours of the young.” “Nowadays”, the elders finished, “colours no longer spurt from the volcano’s crater, but the bright Colour Thief still roams the skies.” 3
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The villagers were tired of living in darkness and fear. They called together all the brave young men and warriors of the village and pleaded for help. “Journey to the volcano and slay the Colour Thief! ” But even the most courageous warriors dared not confront the wicked creature.
Wayan Sepi, a sweet boy who spent his days gathering coconuts on the outskirts of the village, thought long and hard about the lost colours. He decided he would take on the challenge. So he fashioned himself a helmet of coconut shell and set off on the dangerous journey. The villagers watched, their hearts heavy, certain he would not return. 5
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On the first night Wayan Sepi ate little with no food to be found except a few roots. As his stomach grumbled loudly, he feared the Colour Thief would hear. When the morning sun broke through the sky on the third day, the jungle grew more dense. New trees, filled with exotic fruits everywhere he turned.
Wayan Sepi munched and munched on juicy mangoes, smooth crunchy jambu and long, stringy beans. As he took rest in the jungle that night, he realised that everything seemed a little less grey.
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On the fourth day, feeling strong from all the walking and delicious food,
Wayan Sepi came to a waterfall, which trickled down the rocks and formed deep pools of transparent water.
Wayan Sepi bathed in the clear water all day, which soothed his eyes, washing away the dust of the journey. He climbed for coconuts and drank in abundance. When he left this paradise Wayan Sepi took one last glance and felt sure that the water looked almost... Blue? With his coconut helmet to protect his eyes from the sun, and the nasty cigarette smoke no longer fogging his brain, the jungle looked clearer than it ever had before. 9
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On the fifth day, as Wayan Sepi picked mangosteens, he thought in amazement, “They look purple”, but perhaps it was just another shade of grey. On the sixth day,
Wayan Sepi reached the bottom of the volcano where legend told the Colour Thief’s den lay. He peered up to the sky, where the volcano towered through the clouds. His heart thumped in his chest. After what felt like hours of watching, waiting, wiping the sweat from his brow, something emerged from the Colour Thief’s den.
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Wayan Sepi gasped! A gorgeous creature, with kind blue eyes and sparkling, scaly wings smiled gently and in a deep, soothing voice said, “Hello child.”
Wayan Sepi’s fear dissolved. That night, Wayan Sepi and the Colour Thief, who Wayan Sepi had named Naga Damai, feasted on the rich plants of the jungle. All night long they talked... about the colours, the volcano, and the slightly purple mangosteens.
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When the morning sun peeped over the volcano,
Naga Damai took flight for the village with Wayan Sepi clinging tightly to its colourful, scaled back. They soared through soft pillows of clouds, over the dense jungle. The palm trees swayed as Naga Damai folded his powerful wings to land in the village square. The villagers screamed and ran in fright. “My people,” Wayan Sepi said, “do not be afraid! The Colour Thief is our friend. I call him Naga Damai.” “The colours were not stolen after all... they were just lost.”
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Slowly, the whole village gathered to hear of Wayan
Sepi’s travels. The elders, the mothers, the brave warriors, and even the little children listened intently.
Wayan Sepi told them of the beautifully coloured, rich fruits and vegetables, the crystal clear blue water and his coconut helmet. “Treat your eyes like precious treasures to be protected” he told them, “and your colours will return.”
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“Lead healthy lives, fill your plates with lots of vegetables and fruit, protect your eyes from the sun’s glare and dust from the rice fields by wearing sun glasses and hats.” “Breathe in fresh air and avoid cigarette smoke. Stay active and drink plenty of clear, clean water.”
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As the villagers began to do these things, slowly, gently, colours returned. Now, once every year, the villagers celebrate their precious colours. They feast on brightly coloured, healthy foods and paint their little village with every colour of Naga Damai’s beautiful, colourful scales. And the elders gather the children and tell them the legend of sweet Wayan Sepi, the Warna Boy.
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Afterword Fragile dew drops on a damp leaf. Flecks of emerald in the iris of an eye. Glimmering scales on a rainbow fish. Strings of a violin humming delicately. Millions of seeds in the anther of a sunflower. Softly curled hairs on the lid of the eye. A masterpiece of perfectly patterned silk – the spider web. Freckles sprinkled playfully across the cheekbone. Shimmering feathers on the tail of a regal peacock. Intricate details of life. Let me tell you a secret. I have a fear of being blind. Forget sharks. Forget spiders. Forget heights. I have a fear of not being able to observe the delicate patterns of a spider’s web, of not being able to witness the graceful movement of a shark, or see the world from a million miles high.
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It frightens me that one day or at any point in my life I may not be able to see the gorgeous world around me. The fear nestles itself in the dark tangles of my mind, surfacing when I take a trip to the optometrist, or when my eyes are temporarily damaged. This is why I am so inspired by The John Fawcett Foundation’s work. I admire the bravery of all, young and old, who have lived their lives in darkness. I rejoice in the happiness they find when they can finally see all the colours of the world. Their mother’s face for the first time. Their own toes. The freckles that hug their sun-kissed bodies. The fact that there are around 40 million cataract blind people worldwide is nothing short of a tragedy. A tragedy that the world’s eyes must be opened to.
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The John Fawcett Foundation is best known for its Sight Restoration and Blindness Prevention Program which offers free eye screening, glasses, eye treatment and cataract surgery to underprivileged people in Indonesia. Of the estimated four million people who are blind in Indonesia, nearly three million are needlessly blind from cataracts. In some cases, with awareness and adequate health care, cataracts may be prevented. John Fawcett identified six issues that can cause cataract blindness: • Diet (inadequate nutrition) • Damage (a blow or trauma to the eye) • Diabetes (often a result of poor nutrition) • Dad and Mum (genetic factors) • Daylight (exposure to harsh sunlight) • Dehydration (not drinking enough water) I hope that by sharing this book, we will help reduce the chance of blindness that cripples lives. And by using a mythical storyline, we hope to engage both young and older readers in a metaphorically beautiful journey that concludes, much like a fairytale, with a happy ending.
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This book was produced by
The John Fawcett Foundation Jl Pengembak 16 Blanjong, Sanur, Bali, Indonesia Tel : +62 361 270812 email : jff@johnfawcett.org website : www.johnfawcett.org All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to The John Fawcett Foundation’s Sight Restoration & Blindness Prevention Program