The Painted Lady
She swept into our village as a legend. She was something people made up to give their children hope that the river would turn clean again and that food might appear again on the dinner tables. But soon she became a person to blame. She was supposed to be our savior, the one to make everything good and completely again. But she'd left us, abandoned us! She doomed our village! Left our children to die, our crops to rot! She signed our death warrant!
But generations after she was first mentioned she returned. She came into the village one night, leaving food and medicine in the town square. People were suspicious. Was this the same spirit who left us to die years ago, finally returned? But she came again the next night, doing the same thing. The village rejoiced! It was amazing to see smiles again! The town was underwent a complete transformation. People danced and sang, smiled and laughed, color seemed to return to the world after so much darkness. The next night I waited up, sitting on a roof near the town square just to see. Even if it was just a glimpse, I thought I should at least see the woman reviving my home. She didn't disappoint. She appeared in the moonlight, moving gracefully and depositing her gifts before turning and disappearing into the lake. Just before she dove under the waves though, I saw her face, obscured by a veil. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of blue; she had tattoos of red ink swirling across her cheeks and arms. She was beautiful.
The next time I waited up for her, I snuck up behind her as she bent over to put the packages down.
"Thank you" was the only thing I could think to say. She was so startled I heard her gasp as she spun around. Her eyes were widened with fear.
"I'm sorry for scaring you," I said, truly apologetic. "But I had to tell you how grateful we are for your help". She nodded silently. There was something deep in her eyes. Something that told me she had to leave. I stepped out of her way and bowed to her.
"I hope we meet again," I whispered as she whipped past me and into the water.
I saw her one final time the next week. Even the food the lady brought us had begun to grow less and less. The town was still much more alive but it was beginning to fade once more. Then we noticed a change. A miniscule one, something most people wouldn't have even thought twice about, but we saw how the river changed. Its natural green, sludgy color began to turn a pale green color, then turquoise, until it shone blue. The factory's pollution had stopped! I looked up at the massive building looming over the hill on the shore, and didn't see the usual smoke rising from it. That night when she visited once more, she brought only some medicine and fishing rods. I realized it was because we could now feed ourselves.
"It was you that stopped the factory. Wasn't it?" I asked and she turned to face me. Then she nodded, looking almost ashamed. I bowed to her like the night before but when I looked up, she was still there. I moved closer and she tensed but stayed still. I grasped her hand in mine and kissed it.
"Thank you. For everything. You saved my village and have shown us a new way of life. We are forever in your debt." I said, almost unable to get my emotions into words. I could tell by her eyes that she could sense how I truly felt. She looked at me then smiled. A bright beautiful smile that rivaled the stars that for the first time in generations we could witness. She winked and was gone in a shroud of mist. I knew that was the last time in my life I would see her. However, years later, my wife and I would share my experiences with my children and their descendants so that everyone would know of the kindness of the painted lady.