import curses

def main(stdscr):
    curses.start_color()
    curses.use_default_colors()
    curses.init_pair(1, curses.COLOR_WHITE, curses.COLOR_BLUE)
    curses.init_pair(2, curses.COLOR_RED, curses.COLOR_WHITE)

    stdscr.bkgdset(' ', curses.color_pair(1))
    stdscr.clear()
    stdscr.border()
    stdscr.addstr(1, 1, "text should be in red", curses.color_pair(2))
    stdscr.getch()

curses.wrapper(main)