459. Oh No! Not English Again!

Oh, no, not English again! was the phrase every time the children saw me, thundered around - it had become my icon.

During the summer in Italy, our parishes organize a holiday activity centre for the local children which is quite enjoyable for most but may take its toll among the adult volunteers who offer their services in a manner as they best see fit. And that’s where I found myself this summer with a hundred or so Italian kids, under a scorching sun, trying to instil some kind of benevolence for the English language.

But as I was saying, “Oh no, not English again...” was the greeting echoed wherever I went. However, regardless, I continued on my way, stoically, day after day; taking with me my retinue of cows, pigs, ducks, hens, dogs, cats and sheep from the song of "Old Macdonald Had a Farm e-i-e-i-o...."

And during that whole summer period, we managed to, if not become terribly good at singing, but in some way enunciate the seven verses quite decently, with satisfaction. But alas! This our English project seemed to have been born under bad auspices because during the final evening, in front of a full audience, when there we were, on an open-air stage, all ready, even if a little out of tune, we began to sing with great style and enthusiasm "Old Macdonald Had a Farm e-i-e-i-o...." fate would have it that an imminent storm cut us off completely at the quack, quack of the ducks... Oh well, better this way many must have thought! But oh no, it doesn’t end here, I said, defying fate menacingly... there's next year and... Oh yes! English again! How Wonderful!

However, between ourselves, I did get my reward in the end - the greatest satisfaction I find is when now, the children greet me in the street, not by name, but with a delightful screech of "Old Macdonald had a farm e-i-e-i-o...."  Ahhh... indeed these are the real joys of life - not the empty applause of the powerful.