When Love Came Down

December holidays in a Karoo dorp can be very boring, especially one that serves a large farming community.  Some children have gone back to their family farms for the holidays and the “townies,” as they are called are bored.  The municipality has decided to upgrade and refurbish the local swimming pool, what stupidity, in the middle of summer, nogal!

Fortunately, there is the municipal park, situated in the center of the dorp, it is well maintained and has become the epicenter in the lives of some children.

A few days before Christmas a group of young girls aged between five and eleven have decided that they are sick and tired of playing cricket with the boys.  According to them, those bossy boys only allow them to be fielders, when they would love to bat and bowl. Playing on the gym equipment, swings and roundabout does not satisfy their need for entertainment. Finding a lovely spot under the shade of some beautiful oak trees, and inspired by the Methodist Church’s recent Nativity Play our little friends decide to create their own version of the age old story.  Excitedly, two of girls rush over to the boys suggesting that they abandon their cricket game and join them instead of playing cricket.

“Are you mad?” was the response:  “Go back to your side of the park and leave us alone”.

Our young friends decide to embark on their plan, those annoying boys can continue to play cricket.

After much squabbling and in fact almost coming to blows the girls finally settle down and decide which of the girls is going to be Joseph, the Innkeeper, the shepherds and the wise men.  The girls set about retelling that age old story and for now peace and goodwill settles in the park.

A couple of days later, Pieter a young man in his early twenties takes refuge in the park.  He is bored; feeling sad and hopeless, he comes from a good home,  he is in desperate need to find sustainable employment.  He also knows that he is going to have to make some serious decisions, about friendships with some questionable people,  he does not want to continue his association with them. 

 “What do I do and where do I go” are endless questions twirling around in his thoughts.  Walking aimlessly through the park he hears the sound of his little sister giving instructions to her friends.  Curiously he hides behind a tree.  “What are these kids up to, what are they playing at?”  Pieter is fascinated and becomes completely absorbed in this “new” game.  Once he realizes what they are doing, he decides to hang around.

Sometime later, Cynthia, a mother of one of the young girls takes a short cut through the park, hearing the sound of children singing Christmas carols she decides to investigate and just as she is about to start yelling,  she notices that one her beautiful table cloths is being used as very elaborate headgear by her daughter, Pieter motions to her to be quiet.  He explains the “game” to her.

Between the Cynthia and Pieter they alert the other parents about ‘new game’ being played in the local park.   The parents decide that they would surreptitiously sneak into the park the to experience this wonderful new game.

However,  the next day posters appear all over town. Come to the Park tomorrow and watch a play. Be there at 4:00 pm, entrance fee – Biscuits and juice.

From three thirty the towns’ people, carrying blankets, biscuits and juice pay their entrance fees and settle on the grass to watch the play.

The stage is set, whilst waiting for the play to start, and with hushed tones they made mention of “lost” household items  that suddenly re-appear as props.  An old pram is the crib, a few broken chairs and abandoned paint tins make up the set.

Very obviously wardrobes, cupboards, drawers and the like were raided for props and relevant outfits for the all-girl cast.

Very slowly Mary and Joseph make their way through the crowd – the audience is completely spell bound.  Joseph is pushing Mary on a donkey (also known as a bicycle).

Scene after scene, well known carol after another sung with spontaneity, (with a tiny bit of audience participation) with joy and happiness,  and a very creative and entertaining nativity play unfolds

Spell bound, proud parents, friends and family, even the budding cricket team watch in awe, as the shepherds appear with their “sheep” who, much to the amusement of the audience “barked” instead of bleating.  The cutest little lamb was Benji, a Maltese poodle who belonged to the van der Walt family, who live around the corner from the park,  at last the mystery of Benji’s afternoon sojourns is  solved.

However, pandemonium almost threatens to derail the play when it is discovered that one of the “camels” has a flat tyre.  Pieter jumped up; very gently he assures the cast and  the audience:  “the camel is old and tired, remember he has had to travel a very long way to get here”

Peacefully and without further incident or hiccup the nativity play comes to an end.

The audience, oh the audience loved every single moment of this haphazard, raw and honest interpretation of the nativity story.  They applauded the creativity of bicycles for donkeys and dogs for sheep.  I think they quietly breathed a sigh of relief that the children didn’t rush off and “borrow” real ones.

“O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;

It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!

O night divine! O night when Christ was born.”    

-Placide Cappeau 1847.

Who will ever forget the moment love came down in a park somewhere in the Karoo where little children in beauty and innocence told the age old story of a child who came to change the world.

Thank you so much for being part of my wondrous — and sometimes foolish —journey. I’m truly grateful for each of you. I am taking a short break and will be back mid-January. Wishing you a joyful Christmas and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.