Suffer little children to come unto me, and suffer not; for of such is the kingdom of God.

Tu Tangata, Issue 28, 1 February 1986, Page 45

Suffer little children to come unto me, and suffer not; for of such is the kingdom of God.

by lulia Leilua

The sand was dazzling white, pure and sparkling like fairy dust. As the tide slowly washed in and out, licking the sand, hundreds of tiny crabs scurried about, attending to their business. The sky was a spotless blanket of blue stretching out into the horizon. Mother Nature had perfected a particularly beautiful work of art today. By 10 o'clock, people were filling up the beach, staking their claim of land as they pitched their colourful umbrellas in various places. Towels of all shades were spread out on the sand. From a bird's point of view, it looked like an intricate patchwork design, with different patterns that changed all the while. A man and woman made their way through the crowd, searching for an ideal spot. The women carried a baby. Most of the ideal spots on the western shore had been taken, leaving the eastern shore practically vacant. However, after a little shifting and manoeuvreing, they erected their tent and settled in next to some friends. About three metres away on the rocky eastern shore, another couple sat oblivious to the arrival of the newcomers. A baby sat between them.

scratching for anything of interest in the sand with his plump fingers. They sat with a group of friends who laughed. sang and talked under the shade of their canopy. Occasionally one would glance over towards the newcomers, briefly studying. As the various discussions continued, the couple suddenly got up, prodded the infant towards the group, and headed off for the water. The baby squinted at its parents frolicking in the sea, then turned his attention back to the sand. Obviously the sun's heat and the alluring water had affected everyone. Minutes later, the newcomers dashed for the waves, after leaving their baby under the watchful eye of a friend sunbathing nearby. Time dragged on and the infant was bored. The many different coloured shells spread out on the sand no longer amused him. His baby sitter’s attention was averted by a group of people who were talking. He surveyed the beach, then started crawling towards another umbrella where a baby sat watching him. Slowly but surely, he made his way towards his friend, who was now approaching him on all fours too. Blue eyes met black eyes and smiled shyly. A dark hand reached out and touched the

pretty blue sunhat resting on a mass of golden locks. Then, a pale hand placed a small crab into his palm and offered it as a gift to the other, who in turn, took the offering and consumed it. They sat side by side, moulding the sand into curious shapes, their impressions of the strange world they lived in. Any adult who happened to overhear their conversation, would have thought of it as nonsense prattle, that no one could understand except for those two. The sun carried on towards the west. The people sat under their canopies oblivious of the two infants.

The two couples made their way to their different spots. Out of the corner of their eye, one of the newcomers noticed the two infants playing, and glowered at the sight. They hurried over to snatch their child away, just as the other couple arrived, to hastily retrieve their child. Blue eyes met black eyes and glared. Two arms reached out and picked up their offspring. Then, a fair arm pointed arrogantly towards a sign near them which read, NET BLANKES! WHITES ONLY! With a final glance at the hostile couple, the dark baby and his parents retreated to their own territory.