Bang, Bang, Bang (ENG)
‘Train you kids in the right way, because you will have to face whoever they become in the future.’
It was with mixed emotions that I placed the telephone back on its receiver at 23:00 on Christmas day. The past ten days of Action Immanuel were so blessed and we have experienced so many holy moments, Divine appointments and fun parties.
“Lisa, Romano was shot. And his cousin, Chadwin. And Chantal. A few minutes back.” Jy kon my omtik met ‘n veer. It is Christmas, after all.
Romano has decided to become a member of the underworld of drugs and gangster activities a year or two ago, but I will always remember the 14-year old boy who helped us to renovate our house in Badsberg Close before we could move in, an older Romano who always wanted to wash the Quantum van to earn some pocket money and the recent Romano that scurried around to deliver drugs on time and at the right address. And now, at the age of 19, Romano is dead.
Chadwin I saw from time to time and didn’t know him well, but also he died too young. He was 23 years old.
Chantal is part of the Monique group, the support group we have for teenage girls in Badsberg Close. Chantal is 17 years old and five years ago she had to witness how her dad got shot in cold blood. It was the same man that was responsible for the murder of her dad that fired the shot to kill her, but Chantal’s life was saved. In her deepest hour of need, she called out to the Lord and within seconds a “bright white light” pushed her over and the bullet just grazed her.
These events on Christmas night made me think of a song by Tracy Chapman: Bang Bang Bang. Here are some excerpts from the song:
What you go and do
You go and give a boy a gun
Now there ain’t no place to run to
Ain’t no place to run…
And if he finds himself to be
A reflection of us all
Bang bang bang
He’ll shoot us down
I wish the song wasn’t true, and I can’t help to wonder for how much longer we are going to do this to our children (for the whole song go to: http://youtu.be/TqU3OkkpxM).
*pseudonyms are used.