In a week, things would get out of hand. I had to do something now. Desperately, immediately, do something! We’d soon leave Greece and return home after our little holiday. But I couldn’t leave without the Golden Lightbulb. Our teacher, Mrs. Vim, was very clear. “We must complete our Summer Rainbow when we meet after the holidays. And, Adu, your colour is Yellow.”

The Truth Club

My name is Advaita, so they call me Adu. I was sure everyone in our school’s Truth Club was ready with their colours to complete the Summer Rainbow. Except me. Each colour had a thing associated with it. My colour was Yellow, and my thing was the Golden Lightbulb. My problem was, I didn’t know where — or even what — the thing was!

This year, our Club has seven members: Rudra, Vivan, Nathan, Dhyan, the twins Aadhya and Aaradhya, and I. If a member doesn’t complete all the tasks by the end of the year, Mrs. Vim will replace her/him with someone else. No one wants to get kicked out of Truth Club!

Mrs. Vim said our Truth Club was probably the only truth club in the world. It stood on three pillars: Kindness, Independence, and Strength (KIS). 1. If the truth is harmful, it’s better to be Kind. 2. If the truth is strange, show your Independence by standing alone. 3. When you tell the truth, be Strong. As members of Truth Club, we weren’t allowed to check the Internet or consult elders or books to find our Thing. We had to do it alone, use our brains, and be truthful about it.

Search in Greece

The Golden Lightbulb! My colour is yellow, so this thing must be yellow. Mrs. Vim said it’s an ancient thing. “It’s even available in Greece, where you’re going, so that’s easy, isn’t it?” Easy indeed! How can you have an ancient lightbulb? Was it from the Greek civilisation? Then how’s it available in Chennai too?

I forced my parents to take me to museums, libraries, galleries and old bookshops. They forced me to see the Parthenon, Acropolis, and spend a day in Corfu island. Nothing! No Thing! Greece is a marvellous place for a tourist. Soon we were hurrying to make the most of our last few days, and I forgot about the Golden Lightbulb. It was only when we sat in the plane returning home, tired and happy, that I remembered. I hadn’t finished my task. These were probably my last few days in the Truth Club!

I had three days left. I had to find it. But first I had to find out what it was! I rang up my friends in the Club. Rudra had found a blue historic water-mark on a photo, Vivan found a red earring with a 100-year history, Nathan found a history book with every illustration in indigo, Dhyan found a butterfly with an orange design that was like numbers on its wings, Aadhya and Aaradhya found a scarecrow in a field with one hand green and the other violet. They all matched the descriptions given by Mrs. Vim. Only yellow was left! I was the oldest, and I had failed!

Nathan, the youngest, told me, “Actually, I know what you should be looking for, but Miss said I can’t tell you.”

I shouted, “Yes, please don’t! We’re Truth Club members!”

In the garden

Amma’s brother, Uncle KP, was here for a visit. I couldn’t tell him my problem, of course. But he saw my expression and sympathised with me till I felt even more miserable. He took me to our garden and said, “Forget about your Truth Club and Rainbow Thing for a moment and look around this beautiful garden. Enjoy Nature. And Nature will help you.”

I grunted irritably. “How can Nature help me? I know I’ll be kicked out of Truth Club! If only you knew my problem!”

He guided me to a bed of bright yellow flowers. “You know what these are?”

I nodded. “Aren’t they yellow tulips?”

“No, they’re called Globus Ignifer,” Uncle KP said. “It’s a Mediterranean flower that symbolises bright hope at the end of a dark journey. It came to India probably a century after Alexander’s invasion, and adjusted itself to our climate.”

“Glob ... globu...” I stuttered.

“In plain English,” he said, “it’s the Golden Lightbulb.”

“What!” My jaw almost fell. My eyes almost popped out. Uncle KP didn’t know what hit him when I leapt up to hug him.

“What? What? What?” he asked.

“You’re the best uncle in the world,” I laughed. “You’ve got me my yellow Thing. You’ve found my Golden Lightbulb for me, right in my own garden!”

Note: While there are yellow tulips, the name Globus Ignifer exists only in the author’s imagination.