SHALL I PLAY FOR YOU ON MY DRUM?









Pic.: Malabika Ganguly

Today, Malabika, my friend, was so thrilled… Her little boy, Alaak, like millions of kids all around the world, loved the Christmas tree. “Merry Christmas every one,” she wrote while sharing the pictures of Christmas tree decorated by her son. She had added, “We are not Catholics (Christians); but, my little son loves Christmas tree…”

Both, Malabika and her hubby, Amit, had involved in their little boy’s joyful mission… Yes, in decorating and arranging the gifts…

My mind, immediately, rolled back to my own childhood days… How much time we kids would spend in putting together the Star, Crib and the Tree!  Ours was a village… So, everything had to be the rustic way… There was no electricity; forget cash for those pretty gifts and decorations that you see today!

Baby Jesus was born in a humble manger… amidst cows and lambs, on a bed of hay…
But, then, we believed he was our ‘King’!


The legend has it that Magi – the three Wise Men (Kings) from the East – had travelled all the way to Bethlehem, guided by the Stat… with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. On their way, they saw a little drummer-boy and said to him, “Come to see the new-born King… We will go there to honor him with our finest gifts. But, the little drummer-boy thought of the baby of Bethlehem and confessed in his mind, “Little baby, I am a poor boy. I have no gifts to bring that’s fit to give you, our King… So, shall I play for you on my drum?”

“Yes, little boy, you shall,” Mary, the little baby’s mother, nodded…

The little drummer-boy was ecstatic… just as the little Alaaks, all over the world, today, are… He then, went about playing on his drum… as the ox and lamb kept time…

“I played the best for him,” the little boy began to dance with joy, “I played the best…. Pa rum, pum, pum, pum… rum, pum, pum, pum…  rum, pum, pum, pum. “Then, the baby smiled at me… Me and my drum!”




Every time this decades-old Christmas-song is played, I feel very, very happy… “Shall I play for you on my drum?” I still keep asking the baby… who, I believe, is not only my King… but, also, my great idol!

My little boy, Alaak, this for you…

Merry Christmas in advance.

GERALD D’CUNHA
 Video: YouTube



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