Friday, January 2, 2015

The Little Drummer Boy !

The daughter came into the room excitedly and latched on to the computer, looking for a song on you tube. She called.out to me., " I found it... I heard a song today. Found it on you tube..Listen to this, ", she said.

and as the song started playing, a smile spread on my face.

the song? The Little Drummer Boy. My girl had discovered this song only now. .

I remember I was in class 2. about 7 years old. The school was to close for Christmas and just before the holidays began, there was a programme in school . Our class was to put up an act. A classmate was to play Joseph and a close friend of mine, Reshma, was to play Mother Mary. She had to cradle baby Jesus in her arms. The song to be enacted... Yess... The little Drummer Boy

The teacher had asked the class, "Does anybody have a doll? Can you bring it on the day of the performance."

An eager me had shot up her arm. "i have one, I will get it." My dear neighbour, Aai, had gifted me one, just a couple of weeks ago. The doll, as all dolls are , was a pretty face, shoulder length brown hair, light blue eyes..and she was made of rubber, yielding a loud squeak when pressed. She wore a bright yellow blouse and a bright pink floor length skirt. She also carried a wicker basket full of flowers in her left hand. I called her Goldilocks..

When I came home and told this to Aaai, she retorted, "बाहुली तुझी ना, मग तू ' मदर मेरी' होणार म्हणून सांग . नाहीतर बाहुली देणार नाही , अस सांगून ये. "

My parents , my father mostly, backed me and he packed the doll in a brown paper sheet for me to take to school.

I handed the doll over to my class teacher.

. That afternoon, as i stood on the stage, behind Mother Mary and Joseph...along with my other classmates. , all a part of a group , singing the Little Drummer Boy, my eyes were transfixed on my dolly , bundled in lace, secure in the arms of my friend. A little bit of sadness, a little bit of happiness .. my feelings then.

Pa rum pa pum pum. Rup a pum pum ..rup a pum pummm... the chorus still rings clear in my ears. but it is only happiness i feel now at the thought of this old old memory.

It was Christmas then, It is Christmas today..... I wish all my friends a Merry Christmas
Stories need to be told....Stories need to be shared... lest they are all forgotten - a lesson i learn in my mythology class. I just needed one more reason to share one more memory,


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