- Dear Family and Friends,
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-
- This December, for the second year in a row, my Christmas
Tree has remained outside in the garden. This tree began life as a seedling
amongst the fir trees behind our house on the farm. Just a couple of inches
tall I planted the seedling in a black plastic bag when we were being evicted
from our farm just before Christmas in 2000. Every year at Christmas time
I dragged the pot inside, covered the tree with bits and pieces, starved
it of water for a week and then back outside it went. As the tree grew
I transplanted it into ever bigger pots and the Christmas tree has survived
but not really thrived. Two years ago my son and I planted the Christmas
tree in the garden, agreeing that it would stay there until there was a
change in the situation in Zimbabwe. At first when I took the tree out
of its pot it stood there in the rich earth in a state of shock. For months
it did nothing, did not seem to grow or lift up its branches or show any
sign of life. Then suddenly as if it finally realised it was free of the
restrictions on its roots, my little Christmas tree began to grow. Now
it is over six feet (two metres) tall and is alive and well and growing
on the front lawn. This week, standing on tip toes I have put a small
silver star on top of the Christmas tree in the garden and it stirs gently
in the breeze of our hot and humid December days.
-
- Having my Christmas tree outside in the garden is symbolic
of the state of affairs in Zimbabwe. Christmas is not completely cancelled
but it is not far off. All the usual traditional Christmas trappings are
just not possible anymore. The traditional Christmas meal is off the menu,
unaffordable by almost everyone. Most families are again separated by borders,
countries and even continents as almost a quarter of our population remain
in exile across the world. Christmas gifts are this year sparser than ever
before - restricted almost entirely to just the children.
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- I thought how I could best describe the atmosphere of
this Christmas to people outside of the country and all week have added
words to a list.
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- This is December in Zimbabwe:
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- Two inch long Msasa beetles armed with fierce nippers;
Great fat sausage flies everywhere telling us the rain is near; Flame lilies
- scarlet and yellow in the jungly green bush; Paradise flycatchers trailing
exquisite long orange tail feathers; The bubbling call of the Coucal and
the mocking warnings of the Go Away Birds Big, orange, sticky mangoes
Towns seething with people and monstrous queues - not for presents or treats
but queues for money, for petrol and, longest of all, queues for sugar.
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- To all my family and friends and to Zimbabweans
wherever you are in the world, I send love and thanks for everything you
all to do help this wonderful country. Until my next letter in 2007, have
a peaceful and happy Christmas and New Year,
-
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- love cathy.
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- Copyright, cathy buckle, 23rd December 2006. http://africantears.netfirms.com
My books "African Tears" and "Beyond Tears" are available
from: orders@africabookcentre.com
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