Jasper the Cloud Above Kiribati

A Cloud Who Learned to Change Shape, and the Island He Watched Over

Jasper was a cloud. He lived over Tarawa in the country of Kiribati, pronounced Kiribas.

Jasper was older than most clouds, who are only two to ten hours old. Jasper was 500 years old.

How can a cloud be that old? you ask.

Jasper learned the art of transfiguration.

Yes, transfiguration. Now that is admittedly a very bookish word. I’m not the only one trying to impress you.

Transfiguration, according to the Oceanic Dictionary of the Pacific, circa 1405, is the changing of forms from one shape to another.

Have you ever seen a crocodile in the sky?

Jasper sometimes shaped himself as one. He’d get an occasional kick out of scaring the children, but it was the adults who were always scared the most, especially the supposed tough guys.

Jasper had good eyes. He could see them squirm, especially when he’d open his big jaws and reveal his jagged teeth.

But with transfiguration, Jasper would change shape again and become a beautiful frangipani flower. Frangipani were his favorite. They had a beautiful aroma, if only Jasper could smell.

He loved how the children peered out at the frangipani and would go find them when they noticed them in the sky.

The children didn’t miss a beat. It was the adults who hardly noticed.

One day a crocodile. One day a frangipani.

Jasper could change into anything that he wished.

Over time Jasper started to get alarmed. Kiribati was getting smaller and smaller. The ocean was getting bigger and bigger.

People had to move back their homes. They planted mangroves, trees with long roots, to hold together the sand.

But over years the island grew smaller and smaller, and the ocean grew bigger and bigger.

Jasper became dark and purple. He cried lots of rainwater. He was very sad.

The children had less beach to play on.

Over time the people started to go away on boats and planes.

Jasper tried to shape himself as a home to send the people of Kiribati a message to stay.

Jasper did not want them to leave.

Years passed. The ocean grew larger. Soon all the people were gone.

Jasper stayed.

Jasper shaped himself as the children of Kiribati, but they were gone. Only the flying fish peered on.

Jasper grew dark and purple. He rained and rained and rained.

Jasper would never forget the children of Kiribati.

He hoped wherever they went, they would be surrounded by frangipani.

A story by Pemba Umoja