This Christmas
My boss called me into his office about three days ago and as i sat down on the other side of his desk he swung around in his seat to face me and said ‘you’ll remain on duty during the Christmas break’
‘What!!!??” i thought, “er sir, you mean….?”
‘Yes,” he interrupted, ” every end of the year, as everyone breaks for Christmas, a few members of staff remain on ground to……….and this year, you have been nominated to represent your unit”
“pff, nominated you say? kwani its an award?” I wouldnt dare say that though so I mumbled ” umm But you see sir, i had not been informed earlier and my mind was set on joining my family for Christmas, seeing that i have spent most of the year away from home, so i am requesting that you reconsider the decision in my favour”
“it is final Veronica!” (yeah, that”s my official name) ” you may go now, i am sure there’s a lot of work waiting for you”
AAAAAAARRRRGHHHH!!!!! i couldnt think of any words to express my anger? frustration? despair? yeah, its not even clear what i was feeling at that point. So i have been trying to come to terms with that piece of news since.
Then today, while at work (oh!! i work in Kakuma refugee camp all the way up in Turkana as a Pediatric Counselor) i was talking to a 17 year old Congolese girl whose smile is amazing, save the fact that she has a scar on her left cheek. her name is Furaha. Now here’s the irony, there’s nothing happy about Furaha’s story and i could tell that right from the moment i asked her how she got that scar on her cheek.
“It was Christmas day, four years ago” she started to narrate. “We had had a wonderful day at home with my family when that evening we were attacked” she paused and for some reason the scar on her cheek was more pronounced. “………they killed my parents and cut my face as i wrestled them while they took turns on me. My younger brother and i were able to run away that night.I willl never forget that Christmas, i lost everything i had” she broke down.
I just sat there, fighting back my own tears. I felt sorry for Furaha but what made me even sadder is the fact that the true meaning of Christmas had been totally blotted out of her innocent mind, that all she’ll ever think of is how on that fateful day she lost everything she ever had. But Christmas is not about loss, its about gain. Christmas is about Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, Our wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Our Everlasting Father; The Prince of Peace……Furaha runs the risk of never knowing that.
So what if am not going to be home this Christmas? So what if i miss the nyamchom and the fireworks on new year’s eve? There’s more to Christmas than that, its about the LOVE of God and letting others see it as it is.
So for the sake of Furaha and many other children needing love, i will not be home for Christmas this year 🙂
author- Ronnie Mugure