Santa is not a Black kid’s myth to settle for. The only mystery I believed while growing up was the tooth fairy, who we called the Rich Mouse that traded our milk teeth for money, only to realise our parents were playing that prank.
Back to the matter, no one is too poor or has too little to give. This is the same notion driving The Rotary contingent every other day. The date was Saturday 20th December 2014 and the Rotaract Club Of Kyengera & company were to play santa at Sonrise Babies’ Home in Jinja. I know I said in Uganda we don’t know Santa, well, just maybe, Father Christmas was about to be Santa Claus. And that is what actually ensued. You know the smile of a toddler after eating icing sugar, it is with such happiness & joy that we were received at Sonrise. Contrary to popular expectations, the party at Sonrise thwarted our idea of having breakfast outside the home & they offered us what was a very nutritious breakfast that almost made us scamper for the nearest beds even without offloading the cargo.
As if the festivities were not enough already, we learned that our major exchange was to be after the home’s boss’ wedding reception that evening. You know what I decipher when I hear ‘wedding,” yes, cake & chicken. We were bound to be treated to a hearty dinner at the wedding reception, one I wasn’t ready to miss. The kids looked for their “Sunday Best” & looked smashing from my view, ready to rock & roll. That time was memorable but the give always were a lot teary. The gifts we had for them were received with open arms & they wished we would stay for the next day but if only that was possible & had been the plan: those kinds of moments that weaken your knees and leave you wishing for more.
It gets so sad when the nice things come to a quick end. This was the second time I had been to Sonrise, but this time was more humbling. It clearly spelt it out to me that you are never too poor or have too little to give to those that need.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! JOYOUEX NOËL
