SunWE-Descrimmagery-Reflective Settings

Reflective Settings

“ I got dis fo sissy dollars”, she said

fingering the 10mm glowing black pearl

pendant, attached to a long silver chain.

“I got da setting by Mahina, in the little

building by the police station you know?

she sets pearls. She does good work.”

Scootering south along the Ara Tapu on

the Island of Rarotonga with the lagoon

on the left bereft of plans or even a map,

we turned by a collapsing sign to see

about hiring snorkel gear for looking

about in the lagoon.

Down the wide sandy trail a gray curly

haired, husky built man who was raking

the orange carpet of fallen Flamboyant

tree blooms, wordlessly waved us to the

office with a pointed finger.

Inside, the dark concrete office had a

feeling of  vacancy with empty, save for

some salt shakers and a package of

microwave popcorn, rusted metal baker’s

shelves along one wall, a chair and a

ripped box of yellowed paperbacks on the

ocean side wall and an ancient weathered

empty desk on the wall to our left as we

entered.

Behind the desk sat a robust lady of

dark chestnut luster with a round face,

large twinkling dark eyes with a  gold

glow and a bare hint of a shy smile.

Sticking straight up on the top of her

head were many strands of kinky hair

with the slightest hint of lime bleahed

blonde.  I inquired about hiring two

snorkels.  “Yeeah, we just have two”

“Eight dowllars a day”, she replied in a

very soft hesitant voice.

I  said we would like to have the two

for two days.  While she  was computing

the figures for this transaction, I

commented on the alluring luster of her

black pearl and she replied with the

information on price and settings.

Black pearls are created in one of the

remotest inhabited settings on

earth-Manihiki, in the endless blue of the

Pacific Ocean.   The pearl, set with a

silver crown of sorts mirrored the

rainbow-like spectrum of colors found in

the black-lipped mother of pearl shell

Pinctada margaritifera. The darker hues

of black, blue, green and brown are

prominent, while lighter colors such as

white, silver, grey and gold are more

subtle. Translucent, overlaying shades of

aubergine gave it added depth and glow.

As the wearer of the pearl handed me

the snorkel equipment I could see the

same deep layers of luster in her eyes.

As light reflects through the layers it

exposes  strengths and frailties alike.  I

felt a kinship with the dark lady and her

dark pearl.  I felt a kindness move

between us.  The mystery is that being

authentic is the only thing that reveals to

us our kinship with alluring luster-the

intense brightness created as light travels

through the layers and is reflected back

from deep within.

I left the reflective pearls in the dark

hut, exquisite in their settings.

for photos:

http://priscillacpoupore.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/dark-settings/ ‎