Sing like it's a breeze
That morning with the breeze of autumn blowing gently through the trees outside, making the leaves to dance in it's wake, Pastor Michael gave a passionate sermon that touched to the heart and mind, stirring the consciences of many and moving many to give of themselves all over again to their faith.
The open faces that had entered the church earlier that morning became sombre giving rise to an atmosphere of grave attentiveness. Some looked sorrowful with remorse as the word touched and made them introspect. Others looked like they might shed their very skins to show that they had been converted, delivered right there and then from the sinful beings that had entered the church that morning. A few rose to their feet and stood as though to they needed the leverage to gain a better appreciation of the word being preached.
In his usual fashion Father Michael seemed to have become someone else in a way that never got familiar, but seemed new at each service. Gone was his trade mark friendly smile with which only minutes earlier he had been greeting congregants as they entered at the door. He had transformed conveyor of the word with the sobriety and the urgency of the message perceptible in the tone of his voice.
He spoke with the passion of a man tasked with the heavy responsibility to deliver a very serious message. A word the world urgently needed to hear if it was to be be saved from eternal damnation.
As he concluded the sermon, Father Michael was beginning to sweat with the effort. His tone becoming softer once as he announced, "I now present for the very first time, our own, All Saints Boys Choir!".
The announcement was met with a burst thunderous applause. Jubilant faces stared expectantly as the ahead as the sombre mood of the sermon lifted. Luckson felt unsure of himself, almost intimidated as he led the alter walked onto the stage leading the choir boys into the sea of defeaning applause. Looking out into the ocean of expectant smiling faces over above the applause, his legs would not carry him any further. He hadn't expected this, nothing he had been told had prepared him for the moment. He was truly overwhelmed by the occasion and needed time adjust. He was still trying to get his head around how he had come so far, so fast. It still felt like just yesterday when he had been scrounging on the mean streets for survival under Samson's protective wing.
The exhilaration the alter boys had been feeling on their maiden appearance as a choir threatened to fast turn into panic. As the applause died down, apprehension gripped the alter boys standing neatly arranged behind Luckson. The cue they had been awaiting from the newly appointed lead singer was not forthcoming. Luckson just stood there in the glare of a myriad pairs of expectant eyes, immobile.
Then Luckson turned aside and saw Father Michael standing behind a curtain on one side hidden out of sight of the congregation. The priest was forming words with his lips. As Luckson focused on the way the priest's lips were moving as he was shaping words, Luckson recalled that it was the same way Father Michael's lips had moved when the priest had encouraged him. It was crystal clear as he could hear Father Michael's calm voice gently saying, "focus, be in the moment".
When their eyes connected, it was clear that Luckson had read the priest correctly as Father Michael nodded almost knowingly in his direction.
Turning to face the congregation once more, Luckson saw the little girl with brightly coloured ribbons on her pony tails, sitting at the front and his emotions flared up.
The fear he had felt standing in front of the congregation dissipated like snow before the blazing midsummer sun. When he opened his mouth it conveyed the power of a driving avalanche cascading down the Alps. Luckson's voice was all that could be heard, cutting effortlessly through the crispiness in the atmosphere. It was the power a thousand eagles taking to flight. It was as though he was downloading with all the passion in his heart. In that moment he was an avalanche hurtling down a snow covered mountain side. He was an eagle soaring high up in the sky to dizzying new heights. When he finally stopped singing, the entire congregation rose to their feet and applauded more enthusiastically than when he had first stepped out from behind the curtain. Even Father Michael could not contain his joy and was was applauding ecstatically from behind the curtain.
The little girl with the brightly coloured ribbons on her pony tails, suddenly approached the stage, her smiling eyes clapped on Luckson.
"Mommy it was him!", the little girl announced excitedly.
"Who dear", asked Mrs Masiya smiling pleasantly as she put away the gold plated earrings she had worn to church into her jewelry box.
"That boy who was singing in church", replied the little girl excitedly.
"What about him", Mrs Masiya asked her little daughter, seven year old Peggy Sue Masiya(7).
"He's the boy I saw outside the gate. Remember I told you about him but you didn't believe me", the Peggy pressed on. "I 've seen his picture before, he is the little who used to live here".
Mr Masiya who was removing his shoes sitting on the bed, stood up with a huff and walked out of the room.
"Mommy mommy!"
"What dear?", Mrs Masiya asked pleasantly.
"Why is daddy so angry?"
"He's just tired dear", Mrs Masiya replied she no longer sounded as pleasantly as or as well assured.
"That was a superstar performance my boy, Pastor Michael remarked pleasantly.
He and Luckson were sitting across the desk from each, other in the church office.
"Thank you Pastor", replied Luckson grinning idiotically, almost from ear to ear.
Luckson was still experiencing the high from the thunderous applause by the congregation. He had sampled the sweet taste of victory and it felt like stardom. He was having the oddest but not unpleasant feeling as though the person whom he was now was not the same individual who he had been when he woken up early that Sunday morning.
This person whom he had become was more self assured. Singing in church that morning was by far the best thing that had happened to him and he was feeling on top of the world. It was as though he had won a major victory and couldn't help grinning to himself. The infectious smile his face matched the joy he felt inside making to glow with a new found confidence.
Luckson's new mood was not
was not lost to Pastor Michael and the priest asked Luckson with his usual pleasant smile. How do you feel?
"Like a million dollars, I mean to say like I won a million dollars Pastor", Luckson quickly replied without hesitating.
Pastor Michael smiled to himself at the self correction, "that's ok Luckson, but when we are feel good. We have a duty to be generous and help spread joy to others", Pastor Michael went on.
"Why did you walk away from that little girl, she only wanted to gift you the most precious thing that she possessed?
At the mention of the little girl holding out the ribbon in her tiny hand Luckson's entire mood automatically changed.