diff --git a/colors.py b/colors.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 6581fd6..0000000
--- a/colors.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-import curses
-
-
-@curses.wrapper
-def main(win):
-    def print_all_colors(attr):
-        for color in range(-1, curses.COLORS):
-            try:
-                curses.init_pair(color, color, 0)
-            except curses.error:
-                pass
-            else:
-                win.addstr(str(color) + ' ', curses.color_pair(color) | attr)
-    curses.start_color()
-    try:
-        curses.use_default_colors()
-    except curses.error:
-        pass
-    win.addstr("available colors: %d\n\n" % curses.COLORS)
-    print_all_colors(0)
-    win.addstr("\n\n")
-    print_all_colors(curses.A_BOLD)
-    win.refresh()
-    win.getch()
diff --git a/tg/colors.py b/tg/colors.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..abfcbde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tg/colors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import curses
+
+DEFAULT_FG = curses.COLOR_WHITE
+DEFAULT_BG = curses.COLOR_BLACK
+COLOR_PAIRS = {10: 0}
+
+# colors
+black = curses.COLOR_BLACK
+blue = curses.COLOR_BLUE
+cyan = curses.COLOR_CYAN
+green = curses.COLOR_GREEN
+magenta = curses.COLOR_MAGENTA
+red = curses.COLOR_RED
+white = curses.COLOR_WHITE
+yellow = curses.COLOR_YELLOW
+default = -1
+
+# modes
+normal = curses.A_NORMAL
+bold = curses.A_BOLD
+blink = curses.A_BLINK
+reverse = curses.A_REVERSE
+underline = curses.A_UNDERLINE
+invisible = curses.A_INVIS
+dim = curses.A_DIM
+
+
+def get_color(fg, bg):
+    """Returns the curses color pair for the given fg/bg combination."""
+
+    key = (fg, bg)
+    if key not in COLOR_PAIRS:
+        size = len(COLOR_PAIRS)
+        try:
+            curses.init_pair(size, fg, bg)
+        except curses.error:
+            # If curses.use_default_colors() failed during the initialization
+            # of curses, then using -1 as fg or bg will fail as well, which
+            # we need to handle with fallback-defaults:
+            if fg == -1:  # -1 is the "default" color
+                fg = DEFAULT_FG
+            if bg == -1:  # -1 is the "default" color
+                bg = DEFAULT_BG
+
+            try:
+                curses.init_pair(size, fg, bg)
+            except curses.error:
+                # If this fails too, colors are probably not supported
+                pass
+        COLOR_PAIRS[key] = size
+
+    return curses.color_pair(COLOR_PAIRS[key])