End of the Rainbow

Raya walks along the beach with her dog, Kona. From time to time, she bends down to inspect an object: a cool shell, a smooth lava rock or stunning sea glass. Raya and Kona spend countless hours at the beach scavenging for things the sea has washed onto the beach.

“Kona? Kona? Where are you? Come here girl.” Raya scans the beach, hoping to see where Kona has run off to.

“Kona! There you are!” Raya gets worried when she can’t find Kona. Her mom would ground her forever if she lost her. “Come sit with me and watch the sunset.”

Off in the distance is an amazing Hawaiian sunset. Raya and Kona sit on the beach, mesmerized by the beautiful colors dancing on the sea.

“Aww! Kona look—Grandma Sidney is here with us.” She points above the water at the rainbow.

Rainbows are Raya’s symbol for her Grandma Sidney, who passed away before she was born, a way for them to connect. She has come on many adventures with Raya and Kona, especially in Hawaii because there is almost always a rainbow nearby.

“Ok Kona, we have about twenty minutes before mom comes looking for us. Let's look for more treasures.”

They continue searching along the shore. Raya knows she needs to be careful not to get in trouble with Mom again. But she just LOVES exploring along the beach. Raya is happy that she and her family moved here two years ago when she was eight years old. Hawaii has the best beaches to explore. San Diego has incredible beaches too but not like Kona.

“Hey girl—did you find something?” Kona has a really great nose, perfect for finding stuff. A few feet ahead of Raya, Kona wags her tail as she patiently awaits Raya’s arrival. It’s her signal that she has found something good.

“Wow, girl! That looks like an old shoe. It would be great if we could find the other one. Put it in the pile of items by the rocks to recycle or throw away. We want to keep the beaches clean from any trash.”

Raya is always so happy when Grandma joins her and Kona. She always brings them the best gifts from the sea.

“Hi Grandma, What are you going to help us find? We need to be quick though. You know how Mom will get if we are late.” Raya notices the sun almost going down as she is talking to grandma.

Oh great! “Grandma Sidney? Did you see where Kona ran off too? That girl. I feel like she never listens to me. Ugh!” Now Raya knows exactly how her mom feels when she doesn't listen to her.

“Kona!!!!!!! Come on girl! Let me know where you are… Wait! What do you have?” Kona is off in the distance dragging something bigger than she is. It looks like some kind of pillow, or maybe a bag? What in the world?

“Wow! Grandma, you did it again. Thank you!”

Kneeling beside Kona, Raya looks at what she’s found. It’s a big black bag with a zipper. Raya thinks how the bag looks exactly the same as the one she takes on vacation.

Raya stands up and looks around to see if anyone else is on the beach. She looks both ways and doesn’t see anyone. Nobody is in the water either; they are all alone.

“Should we open it, Kona?” The excitement starts to bubble up inside of Raya. Kona must feel her excitement because she starts wagging her tail and barking. This might be the most exciting gift they’ve ever found from the sea.

Slowly, Raya starts to unzip the bag as Kona sniffs it alongside her. Clothes lay on top, sandy and wet. Yuck! Raya shifts through a pair of men’s shorts, a shirt and a bathing suit.

“Kona, why are you digging? Get out of the bag. Is there still something in there?” Raya starts to pull out a tightly rolled towel with a sea turtle design on it. She stands up to pull the towel open and out falls a smaller bag. This bag looks exactly like the one Raya keeps her markers in.

Why is this bag so heavy? How bizarre. Thoughts swirled rapidly through Raya’s head. This belongs to someone else. I feel bad going through someone’s things. This isn’t like the regular stuff they find. This is big! Really big! The decision on what to do was tearing Raya apart.

“Kona, what should we do? Should we pack it back up? Should we take it home? I don’t know—Grandma? What do you think we should do?”

Raya stares at the rainbow that she can still make out in the distance. The colors seem to be changing, growing darker and brighter than before. Am I imagining this or did Grandma Sidney just give me a sign? “Thanks Grandma!” I know just what to do now.— “Kona, let's do this!”

First, Raya saw a classy little black notebook. It was in great shape. Somehow it hadn’t gotten wet from being in the ocean. Raya’s mind is racing with possibilities. I wonder where this came from? Who does it belong to? It was a man’s bag because of the clothes inside. Was he in Hawaii? Did the bag float across the sea? Was there a shipwreck?

Raya slowly and carefully opens the notebook. It’s a diary with dates and notes inside. It dated back 5 years, the same age as me!

Raya continues to flip through the book until she gets to the last page. The date on this page was only a month ago.

It was a bucket list. You know, the kind where you write down all your dreams and things you want to do before you die. All were crossed out except for the last one. It stood out because it was in all capital letters.

30.

GIVE $20,000 TO A STRANGER - PLEASE READ THE LETTER

Raya’s hands are shaking as she unfolds the letter and starts to read.

Dear Friend,

I am happy it was you that found my bag. It was meant to be. I have had an extraordinary life and have done so many amazing things. There have been so many people that have believed in me and were a part of my life. I will never forget them. I want you to have this gift. If you have not opened the package, do it now. I’ll wait. Go ahead.

Raya looks at Kona. Kona looks at Raya. “Kona, let's open the bag!”

Raya starts to unwrap it and she can’t believe her eyes. It’s money—a lot of money.

“Kona, pinch me or bite me to make sure I’m not dreaming. This can’t be happening. What? Seriously!? Grandma! Grandma! Are you still there?” Raya glances at the sun just as it slips past the sea. Grandma is fading quickly. “Thank you Grandma. See you next time. I love you!” Raya looks back at the money to make sure it didn’t disappear like the sun and grandma did. Yep! Still there. Raya glances at a small piece of paper on top of the money.

Here is my gift to you. $20,000. Keep reading the letter.

Raya laughs and picks up the letter, continuing to read...

Always remember to be kind, be grateful, be happy, be adventurous, be strong, be amazing. Follow your heart and never give up on your dreams. Someone long ago did the same thing for me that I am doing for you. A stranger gave me a chance and taught me through their generosity to do the same with my life.

I have worked hard. I have made mistakes. I failed many times but in my mind I knew that failing wasn’t bad. I was learning something new every-time I did. I promised that one day I would do the same for someone else.That someone is you.

I am paying it forward. Here is $20,000 to help you reach your dreams. You will have to still work hard and you will make lots of mistakes. But I believe in you.

Here is a brand new notebook for you to start dreaming. Make your own list of all the things you want to do. Keep adding to it whenever you have a new dream. Go for it! The only thing I ask of you is to promise me that someday you will pay it forward just like I did. Good luck!

Best,

S.

Still not believing that all this just happened, Raya packs up quickly so she can share everything with her mom and dad. She starts running back home with Kona close by her side. Raya already knows some ideas she will write in her new black notebook to start making her dreams come true. Excited beyond belief, she starts to run faster towards home!

“Raya? WHERE ARE YOU?!”