Dad’s Xmas message

It was that special day in December. We had just started enjoying our holidays so I did not bother to wake up early.

Birds were chirping from our backyard garden and my mother was humming the usual Christmas songs that are played across the country close to the Yuletide.

The fowl my daddy bought for Christmas was clucking loudly by the kitchen door. 

Suddenly, my mum screamed. I looked through the kitchen door and saw that the fowl had broken loose and was running helter-skelter on the compound.  

Quickly, my uncle and his two daughters who had come to spend the festive season with us started to give it a hot chase. I put down my cup of water which I had fetched to brush my teeth and joined in the chase. Indeed, I must say I really enjoyed the chase so much.

We chased the hen into the garden, behind the refuse bins and all around the compound. The chase was interesting as we giggled and laughed but I must confess it was tiring for all of us. While I panted like a man who had dug a six-feet hole,  my cousins were breathless and had to stop a while to catch their breath.

Later in the evening, food was ready. It was at that  time that my daddy threw in his baffling question. He wanted to know  why we think wise men preferred chicken limbs to the softer fatty whole.

None of us could answer because we did not understand the question.

Daddy said most families would want to celebrate the Yuletide without sorrow, pain, accidents or death. ‘All families would want to have their members present and celebrate the year’s proceeds together.’ 

He said around this time, drivers drive recklessly; hawkers trade  in anything to get huge sums of money. And it is around this time that some bad people in society struggle very hard to beat the intelligence of others to rob them. Thieves and pickpockets take advantage of innocent people to steal from them.

By the time daddy had finished with his ‘Xmas message,’ my cousins and I understood his chicken limb theory perfectly. Daddy was just trying to tell not only us but everybody to be careful during Christmas. 

Chicken has quite a lot of bones which demands that we are careful when handling them. We all have a duty to ensure that this Yuletide would be a happy one for all of us. We, therefore, started spreading the message because we loved it so much.

During that season, we educated the drivers of the vehicles my cousin and I boarded to the Christmas parties we attended on the need to avoid overspeeding. I realised some paid attention to our advice but others simply ignored us because I am sure they thought we were children who could not advise them.  

At Sunday School and even at the various children’s parties we attended, we did not only have fun but educated our peers on the need to change into better persons. We told them to be respectful to all, especially their parents and not be lured by gifts from people to engage in anything bad.

Little did we know that the adults in our community had taken notice of our campaign. They told my father all about what they had heard us do and he was so proud of us.

Dear friends, this festive season should not only be fun but it’s important that we use it to bring a change in society. Merry Christmas!

Joel Kwabina Pobee,

Santa Barbara School,

Tema.