My son's turn

My son spent four years attending a regular elementary school prior to my extracting him from the system to home educate. During those four years, the first was the most pleasant for him. In Australia, where we lived at that time, the school year began in early February and ended in late December, so Christmas was a wind down to the school year as well as a build up of excitement for a family.

At the close of his first year, my son proudly informed me that he had been chosen to play the little drummer boy in the nativity pageant for kindergarten students. This was exciting news for us both, proud parent as I was! I instantly recalled the Bing Crosby & David Bowie duet! Also, I knew quite a lot of drummers, so the event was amusing from the comparison side of things as well. Music was very important in my family and this also led to my rising pride. Most parents would probably have preferred their son to be a Joseph, but not me and my musical mindedness!

On the day of the event, he wore some form of sacking over his school uniform, along with bare feet. I congregated with the other happy and proud parents; I sat right on the edge of a row of chairs - in order to get a prime photography position. Along he marched - right past me, making an obvious effort not to look at me as he walked past. I was half playing proud-parent role, clicking away on my camera, dodging miscellaneous director-teachers who mysteriously popped up in view, and partly following his performance critically. Was he keeping correct time with his drumming? He seemed to be...

Afterwards, he told me that the students had been asked specifically not to look out for their parents, wave, or smile; which is why he had so strangely turned his eyes and head away from me when passing.