those necessary adjustments that would ensure correct cooking of the turkey. Occasionally though he would glance across at the officer's white shirt which was hanging on the door to the dining room, so it would stay crisp and clean. The pillow was in the pantry beside the fly safe. I smiled up at him and with a sigh he advised me to go outside to make certain the chickens avoided the front part of the officer's compound.
From the kitchen side of the sanatorium I was able to see three little boys and one little girl playing in the front part of the officer's compound. They were playing with a large ball that bounced. I guessed they were my age. They had shoes, and smart clothes which made them look fragile. I saw them briefly and then I hid from them. But chickens are either curious or afraid, and those chickens who had seen people my size in the front part of the officer's compound had developed their curiosity sufficiently to wander in the direction of the European children. During the festivity, on the birthday of the Lord, I could not allow chickens in the front part of the officer's compound, and despite my shyness I attempted to dissuade the chickens. This naturally attracted attention to me.
For a while now I had been concerned about contact with European children. I had not heard a good thing said about them. Philemon's main concern, when the officer's nurse had first arrived, was that she would bring children with her. And had she done so he would certainly by now have returned to his clan. They were unruly and without decorum in their behavior, and they were fragile, which according to Philemon meant they made a great deal of unnecessary noise.
When I saw the children kicking the bouncing ball in the direction of the chickens I had not the slightest idea how to confront them. Worse they were encouraging the chickens to run around in the front part of the officer's compound by chasing them. Still worse I could not persuade them to stop. So I took their ball.
The little girl, making a considerable noise, went running up the verandah steps and into the sanatorium, two of the little boys pointed at me, the third little boy approached me and in my own language asked me where the problem lay. Nor did he appear in the least afraid of me. I told him I was charged with ensuring no chickens be allowed in the front part of the officer's compound. I told him that he and his companions were interfering with my responsibilities, and I asked him how it was possible that he spoke my language.
But already the officer was on the verandah bellowing at me. He was soon joined by his nurse, the little girl and a cadre of Europeans. I was convinced the officer was going to ask Philemon to whip me right there in front of everyone. But the little boy who spoke my language supported me. His words thoroughly soothed the Europeans, and they went peacefully back into the sanatorium. The commotion itself had unnerved the chickens, they had disappeared beyond the staff quarter. I gave the little boy who spoke my language his bouncing ball back, and I was about to run after the chickens, when he offered to come with me, but I told him that when alarmed chickens were apt to distrust shoes. The boy then promptly sat down on the ground to remove his shoes. Which did not go down well with the European elders who had soft feet and a fear of nakedness.
It was late in the afternoon when Philemon called for me to help him with the clearing up. I ran to the kitchen to find him still wearing the officer's white shirt. His mood was good, and though there was much cleaning to do we managed it quickly enough, and there was plenty to eat. While we were drying the plates and saucers before returning them to their shelves, the officer and his nurse, after saying farewell to their guests, came through to the kitchen. I felt their eyes upon me and I turned to stare at them. The officer's nurse had a smile for me and the officer patted me on the head. His hand felt like any other hand which came as a surprise to me. Philemon took off the white shirt and returned it to the officer's nurse. And we all stared at each other in what felt to me like a long moment of companionable silence.
That evening behind the staff quarter the men were curious to know how Philemon had fared at the celebration of the Lord's birthday. He said, "I put on the white shirt, I picked up the serving platter with the pillow on top of it, I carried the pillow into the dining room, laughing as I did so. I paraded round the table once. And then I put the pillow down beside the officer."
"Did they eat the pillow?"
"No," Philemon replied. "There was much laughter. The officer then stood up, took the platter off the table and returned it to the kitchen. He then suggested I replace the pillow with the turkey, and that he himself would carry the platter into the dining room."
"Did they laugh at the officer?"
"Yes," Philemon replied. "But I believe my own performance gained a greater appreciation from the Officer's guests."
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