It was a family fun day. But the arrangements under the canopies were not according to families. This was the Body of Christ so every person under each canopy was seen as family.
I knew no one. Threading cautiously, I entered the venue, a park. Things were done differently in this new church. There was order, unlike in my former church were hanging out was ripe occasions for friendships that had matured fully to fall off, break apart and be never mended again.
They wrote down my details. Everyone was required to register days before the event. I had registered so they could track my details in their system.
“The yellow canopy.” the attendant indicated, handing me a name tag.
I looked around. Everyone else was wearing one.
They all looked friendly, but no one was approaching me to ask anything. Perhaps I needed to introduce myself too, to encourage others to socialize with me.
At this point in time, they were distributing fruits.
My eyes lit. Food !
I loved what I was seeing. But I had to behave, act like I wasn’t desperate, and allow food to come to me instead of chasing. Good things come to those who wait.
I did wait. But food wasn’t coming.
“Can I go and get some for you?” a voice announced.
I turned to see who it was. A little girl!
But how did she know I hadn’t been served?
“Yes. ” I answered, trying my best to not sound too eager.
Off she went and after a few minutes, she was back with a bunch of fruits. It looked small in my eyes but when I was done eating, I was full.
” What’s wrong with me? ” I wondered.
I was a heavy eater but these past few days, I eat a little, and I’m already full.
This wasn’t good.
I turned my neck 180 degrees, facing my back, to catch a glimpse of a few attendees who decided to play soccer among themselves on the park.
” Those on the park, kindly take your seats as we pray and begin the games.” a voice announced over the mic.
“Good for them. ” I thought, “why couldn’t they be seated like everyone else?”
I wasn’t going to participate in any games. Just here to sit and stare. And eat and drink. The last time I participated in an inter-departmental football match, I embarrassed myself terribly. Someone even had the guts to say on our WhatsApp platform that I was handicapped.
We lost miserably. I was the goalkeeper and I was to blame. It wasn’t funny the insults lashed out on me for that loss.
Even since then, I repented of any future participation in games, even if they were organized in my dreams.
One game after the other were organized and they were beautiful to watch as attendees injected a lot of enthusiasm into the activities.
Every now and then, some snacks were served and the moderator announced that lunch would be at 1pm.
“After all I ate? “ I pondered.
Lunch was coming? I loved ceremonies like these.
I was busy playing a game on my phone when a car arrived. I don’t know what made me look up. Curiosity, I guess.
Out came a young man, helping his aging father out of the backseat. Seems he was recovering from stroke.
Everyone was looking at them, and I could see the strain and discomfort on the young man’s face.
Here was a gathering of church members, young and old, in a joyful, celebratory mood. Each one seems to have come there on their own. And he, and his father, the only ones to come there paired, the only ones with heavy illness on their hands.
I imagined the psychological burden on the young man. His father who used to be a solid pillar of the family, someone he looked up to, despite the differences they might have had, someone who had been his master and hero, now crushed by sickness, humiliated by paralysis. And how long will this keep on?
Of course he couldn’t be as happy as we all were at the games. No wonder when he smiled, it looked like he took a lot of efforts to achieve the smile.
He was seeing everything through a different lens.
But this too was part of life.
Makes me try to do my best to stay fit and healthy so I won’t be a burden to my children. But there are times one does one’s best and yet things hit you from angles you never see coming.
Hmmm… This life!
Our games continued. And my patience in sitting my bum bum on my chair instead of participating in the games paid as I made two key contacts.
Some were scoring points on the field, I was scoring new connections on my phone, leaving the grounds with lots of food, drinks and hope.
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