Tuesday 15th December, 2009
Dear Jeremy,
It is now two weeks since I last wrote to you.. Because of your trip to London, Stockholm and Milan and your wonderfully happy weekend with me, I thought it best not to add to your already overloaded emails. It was a very busy time for you not only work wise but visiting the family as well. Christopher said he thoroughly enjoyed your time with him and I am sure Tim did too!!!! Hope you have now recovered and are back into your routine.
Back to 1956. My epic journey home must have been well into October and I had to pick up my daily life once again in Kitwe.
Christmas was coming so Michael decided to put on a concert with the students. He wrote a play called The Christmas Angel. Angels fly so his Angel had to fly too. He rigged up an elaborate structure with wood and rope. All was going well during the rehearsals when, one day, the Angel set off on his flight too enthusiastically and his big toe hit the floor and got sprained. This did not deter him and he recovered sufficiently to fly for several more rehearsals and was a huge success on the night of the concert.
Christopher, Jill and I used to attend some of the rehearsals to support the writer and producer. I was not, however, prepared when, on the night of the concert, to find the stage decorated with half the contents of my house, tablecloths, curtains, cushions, pictures and a bit of furniture. These possessions must have been secreted out at the last minute as I still do not know how I never missed them. It was a strange sensation sitting in the audience and looking up at a mirror image of my own front room.
Needless to say the concert was a great success and the Angel stayed safely aloft. throughout the performance.
Jill loved dancing and as there were quite a few girls at the Mission and the College I started a small ballet dancing class which I held in an empty classroom at the college. Recently I came across my programme of exercises and dance routines I had choreographed, for example, The Toy Shop, The Village Blacksmith, Getting up in the Morning, etc. There is also a programme for a concert in which I see Christopher and John Barker were down for a Boxing Tournament. Whether I ever got them to co-operate I do not remember but if they had I am sure it would have been hilarious.
Then it was Christmas which would have been a jolly, happy time. The college campus was large with intersecting roads for Christopher to ride his bicycle and Jill her tricycle There were other children to play with and they were absolutely free to roam about and they were also absolutely safe. As well as visiting friends like the Humbles there would have been picnics at Mindola Dam and rides in the canoe.
Thus ended one of the saddest years which affected the rest of my life.
Love you, Mum