Vera van der Voorden
NOT A FAIRLY TALE:
When someone comes into your life and asks you for something so huge, so momentous, something that’s going to change your life for ever there’s that moment of shock and disbelief at the enormity of the request as it sinks in.
At this point, most people would reject the request immediately because they don’t want change and disruption. But being politely pressured they say they will look into it and think about it, depending on the relationship they have with the person or persons requesting the favour.
The closer one is to the requester the more time and reflection goes into the consideration. Most people don’t want change and will need time to weigh up the pros and cons. If they concede and if there is a particularly close relationship there will be a certain amount of altruism on the side of the giver.
But what happens when there is no relationship between the parties and there is benefit only to the one asking the favour, and disruption and attack on the life of the other.
That’s what happened in us in Te Uku.
We lived happily in the arms of the Te Uku hills enjoying and being part of the rhythm of rural life, our chosen paradise with its pastures, pockets of native and regenerating bush, its diverse and wondrous animal life, the changing sounds of the ebb and flow of the seasons.
Then a giant strode into our village and tried to sell us the idea that if we gave the giant our precious it would be really really good for us and our village.
Try as we would to believe, the more we looked at the proposal the more we saw doom over our heads. PR magicians were brought in but the problem remained. We couldn’t fall under the spell and saw dark forces moving across our verdant hills. The harder we looked to believe, the more concerned we became. The giant’s promises became lies and its desire for its fulfilment and happiness became our proportionate disquiet. We spoke with our neighbours, quietly at first, of our concerns. Some of them had fallen to the lure of promised wealth and some under the magicians spell. Fortunately sometimes shouting at our neighbours woke them from the spell and these joined the handful that were not blinded. They formed a group to stand valiantly against the giant. The PR magician tried all sorts of tactics from bribery to ridicule. As fast as one fell to the powers, others woke from their reverie.
What about the laws of the land you may ask? Yes fear not, there are processes in this land and the frightened people of Te Uku are appealing to this as we speak. So watch this space and see how the story evolves.
In the meantime perhaps, as you travel the path that leads through our village, you may ponder the plight of the dwellers of the domain of Te Uku and ask yourself which realm will next be under attack. Will it be your reality?