THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
© The School of Truth
Source p. 379, Dec 2007/ Jan 2008 - The Path of Truth
Bongani was very excited. Only one more sleep and Father Christmas would have been to his house and left the presents that he had asked for. He knew that he had been very good... well... maybe just a tiny bit cheeky... maybe just a teeny bit lazy...! His teacher had said he was a really good boy and mommy always said so too! He had written his Christmas letter to Father Christmas last week and had posted the letter himself. He really hoped that he would get the brand new scooter that he had asked for plus the remote controlled car and the other things he had added to his list in case Father Christmas had a few toys left over and no-one to give them to. Butterflies crawled in his tummy as he watched the Christmas movie with his parents and sister.
"Bedtime!" said mom when the movie ended. Bongi didn't feel like going to bed but he didn't argue in case he spoiled his chances with Father Christmas. He hugged his mom and dad extra hard and even said good night to his sister as he bounced into his bedroom and jumped into bed. He lay awake and lay awake, trying very hard not to close his eyes so that he could have just one little peep and see for himself what Father Christmas looked like. Soon however he drifted off... slowly... peacefully... into dreamland. "Bongani," whispered a little voice, "Bongani, wake up!" "Wha... What... Who are you?" he asked the little person standing beside his bed. If this is Father Christmas, he thought, then I am disappointed. He was a little old man with a long, silky beard, and twinkling blue eyes almost hidden under thick, bushy eyebrows. His coat and pants were green and he wore long pointed shoes with curly toes. "Are you...?" began Bongi. "No, I am not Father Christmas. I am one of his many helpers. I have come to fetch you to help us tonight. We choose one child from each town on Christmas eve so that we can get all our deliveries done. Come along now, hurry... hurry!"
Bongi climbed out of bed, his knees trembling and his heart thumping. Why me? he wondered. He followed the strange little man outside and... his heart almost stopped! Right before his eyes stood a huge sleigh and, wow! Father Christmas sat in the driver's seat, all dressed in red and all crinkly with laughter as he bellowed, "Ho! Ho! Ho! little fella... come and join me up here!" Bongi looked into his jolly face and felt all warm inside as he climbed up beside him. Bongi's body trembled with excitement as he felt the sleigh lift up from the roof and he stared in wonder at the back view of the reindeer pulling the sleigh. As he looked down at the town he felt strange... it looked more beautiful from up here with the lights sparkling away and Christmas decorations glowing in and out of houses.
"It looks sort of magic," he said to himself but Father Christmas must have heard him because he answered, "It IS magic! Do you see the shimmer over the houses? That is fairy dust. And do you know what fairy dust is made of?" Bongani shook his head. "Love," said the cuddly old man, smiling down at him, "Love". That's what makes everything magic! Now, young man, you hang on to this list and we will see what each little boy and girl has asked for... and maybe even a mommy or daddy or gran too!" he added with a little chuckle.
Bongi felt the wind on his cheeks as they sailed through the air as silent as the night. Huge stars twinkled at him, stars he had not seen before. Suddenly the sleigh tilted downwards and with the lightest of bumps, they landed on the roof of a house. Bongi's heart thumped with both excitement and nervousness as they scanned the list for the childrens names. Sandra and Brian... a talking doll and a lego set. Father Christmas and his helper reached into the sleigh for the correct present and Bongi carefully ticked it off the list. They went from house to house and Bongi carefully watched as Father Christmas carefully threw magic dust into each house he entered so that the children would not wake up, then squeezed himself down every size chimney, or through the tiniest gaps. He also took careful note of the gifts Father Christmas left behind and listened to what the kind, jolly man and his helper said as they made their choices.
"No, I can't leave a puppy here because these children got tired of their last puppy when it got big and gave it away..."
"I can't leave any toys here as this child does not pack his toys away. I think I will leave him a nice, big toy box!" On and on they went, making choices with great care and Bongi felt so happy to be part of this great night. Then they came to houses that Bongi had seen before but pretended that he didn't see because they looked too small and too shabby for people to live in. Some did not have proper windows, or they had cardboard walls. Bongi was afraid of what he may see.
"What is on this list?" Father Christmas asked his ever cheerful helper as they stood at the first little house. "A pencil set and a book!" answered the helper. Father Christmas took out a schoolbag with books, pens and pencils and a huge bag of sweets. He then felt around a little more and added a T-shirt and pair of shorts. Bongi began to notice that these children who lived here asked for what they needed, not what they wanted. His heart began to ache as he thought of all the toys that lay in his home that he did not have time to play with. On and on they went, delivering clothes, school items and food. At most houses the children had left Father Christmas some sort of snack... not cake and cookies as in the bigger houses but a sandwich or a little rice or plate of samp and beans. Bongi watched as Father Christmas placed these carefully into big boxes and closed them carefully once they were full. Soon they were almost done with their deliveries. At house number 767, painted neatly in white letters on a creaking door, a little girl named Nomsa had asked for a pair of shoes for her mommy and nice food to eat on Christmas day. Father Christmas carefully searched for and found shoes for each member of the family, plus some clothes and a little toy for each child. He then dug into the food boxes and left a full meal on the little table from the food he had collected at all the houses.
"Yes," he said, before Bongi asked. "This child is special because she doesn't ever complain. She does not ask for things for herself. We watch her through the year as we do all children and she is always smiling, always helpful." Bongi had a long, long think. He wondered whether he should do what was in his heart. Suddenly the words burst from his mouth and he said, "Father Christmas, will you give the toys I asked for to these children?" Bongi could swear that he saw lights flashing and heard bells ringing as Father Christmas beamed at him and love whirled all around him.
Bongi woke up in his bed and wondered whether it had all been real. Carefully he put his hand into his stocking and pulled out a book that he had wanted to read for a while but had been too lazy to. He also found a watch which seemed to sparkle with fairy dust and the words "Lest we forget. Thank you for being a kind boy". Bongi felt very, very happy and had a wonderful Christmas... and as Father Christmas pulled away from Bongi's house in his sleigh, he winked at his tired helper and said with a big smile, "Another child has learned that the true meaning of Christmas is a happy heart... Ho! Ho! Ho!"
Have a wonderful Christmas, dear children, and be kind and loving!
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