Why Won't Santa Visit Poor Children?

A Christmas story from the Philippines by Roy Thomsitt

 

 

The Night Before Christmas In Estrella - Party Time 2

At any one time during that evening there were 100 or more people in and around Di's house and garden. This really was the biggest event of their lives, and Di never stopped to think that it was happening all because of her. The food and drink flowed, the children's games turned into adult equivalent games, and then the music pounded out from the hi-fi system, now set up in the garden, to shatter the half-peace of the adjacent rainforest.

Di participated in all the children's games with as much exuberance as any, yet at the same time she seemed to be in an existence aside from the crowd. Nobody knew, except her, and Tina. It was an existence that crackled, buzzed and whirled around her and within her. As the hours passed, the reality of the party and the garden, the voices and the music, seemed to be slipping away into the clear moonlit sky.

There was no way Di could ever have described what she was feeling, and how it was gradually transforming her and the world around her. Those feelings and sensations were building like a volcano about to erupt. As Tina was singing about her fifth song of the evening, she could see Di's face and eyes radiating with a brightness that made her stand out against all the other smiling faces, in the half-lit darkness of the garden.

Di was edging her way to the back of the crowd, just inching her way so nobody would notice, backwards and sideways. Tina never took her eyes off her through the closing verse of My Heart Will Go On, and then as she finished, smiling politely for the applause, she handed the microphone to another girl, and discreetly made her way towards Di; not directly, but to the side of the garden and then around to Di, along the back of the crowd.

Tina was still a few metres from Di when she saw Di's head swivel round and skyward, suddenly and quickly, her face glowing like the Northern Star. Di then flashed her glance towards Tina, and could not disguise the most wondrous smile.

They met up a few seconds later at the back of the crowd, nearest to the dirt track and road. Both were trying to clip the wings of their excitement, as Tina crouched down a little so she was face to face with her cousin.

It was Tina's eyes alone that asked the question: "What? What is it?"

It was Di's eyes alone, and a tug of Tina's arm, that replied: "Quick, we have to go."

They sneaked out of the garden unseen, walked fast for a few metres along the dirt track, and then ran as fast they could along the Christmas light avenue, towards Estrella Falls.

What they were not aware of was that they were not running as fast as they could, but thousands of times faster. They were inside the park area within a second, hundreds of thousands of fireflies escorting them along the final dark path way to the waterfalls.

What they were to behold was something that would be engraved on Di's memory forever; but for Tina, it would have to fade like a dream not remembered on waking in the morning.

 

 

 

Next: Santa Claus Story (cont)