C'Obs: Making a Racquet

Peek-a-boo! I see you! Surely the earliest game we learnt to play.

The kids loved it when I stripped the beds because they knew they’d be able to play as I hung the sheets out to dry. We even made up a little ditty to lengthen the anticipation period and provide a definite end for the ‘boo’.

And didn’t we laugh when they first played hide and seek. That little onesie covered, nappy clad bottom waving in the air with the head under the cushion on the couch. Little toes pushing up and down as we called out, “I wonder if they’re behind the curtain? … No? …” Suddenly they couldn’t stand it anymore and would throw off the cushion shrieking, “I here! I here!”

In a few years the game morphed into heart stopping pounces in dark hallways. For weeks I was terrified to open the pantry door. Once I lifted the lid on the bathroom hamper and the small one leapt up hollering boo with her arms in her Dad’s shirt waving like some laundry ghost. So glad I’d just used the facilities!

When I was about 10 my Dad looked me in the eye and told me that he was going to have to be away for a few nights and as I was the eldest, it was up to me to help mum make sure that everything was locked up at night because there had been a spate of burglaries from farm sheds in the area. Well at least I think he told me that, I certainly took my role very seriously and checked the calendar each morning to see if it was the day of his return.

A night too early, I woke to the sound of a car slowly crunching down the shingle road. I peered out my bedroom window to see a car, with it’s headlights off, turning into our drive way. I froze and ducked down, my heart pounding until I heard a car door click open. At my feet lay my tennis racket. I picked it up, closed the bedroom door on my little sister and tiptoed to wake my brother. Why I didn’t wake my mother I have no idea! Once he had cricket bat in hand, we crept down the dark hallway, there are no streetlights in the country and this was well before those plug in night lights became mum’s go to safety measure.

I told my brother, “If the robber gets past me, it’s up to you to stop him getting to mum.” His 7yr old blond head nodded in agreement and he stood bravely alone in the dark hall. I took up position in the toilet doorway, beside the back door, with racquet raised high above my head. The runner bean fence gate creaked, stealthy steps on the back stairs creeped, the key turned in the lock, the handle crunched as it was carefully swung down and the robber stepped in. With adrenaline pumping I slammed down my weapon on his head. With the grunt of this exertion the intruder turned, I saw it was Dad. I think as the racquet made contact I was already yelling sorry and had let go. My brother came charging into the porch with his bat ready to drive the baddie out. I started yelling – no – no it’s Dad! Then I think mum woke up.

Once we’d all calmed down with a laugh and a hot milo – that woke the little sister. I was able to reflect how thankful I was that I’d hit Dad with the strings – so a useless security guard, and how important clues to reality are missed when in a holy terror. I had heard the keys but never thought – hang on, how come a robber has a set of house keys?

We’re all grown up now, but I’m wondering if we’re still having trouble hearing the keys turning.

According to Genesis, two responsibilities were given to humanity – free choice with their consequences and stewardship of the garden. Surely The Voice to parliament is informing the first and phasing out fossil fuels, plastics and burning is the second.

The future is coming, let’s put down the racquet.