Christmas Eve In the Mountains of China

As our blue Jeep twisted and turned along the tortuous road leading through rough mountains just above Chengdu, we wondered - "How much longer?" For almost ten hours we had been on the way, our driver honking and dodging foot-travellers and rocks as we bumped our way along the roads of central Sichuan Province, far into the interior of China.

We had started off early in the morning from our "home-city" of Nanchong where my wife and I were on a teaching assignment, an adventure in retirement. We had left in darkness, and now it was dark again. The road was deserted save for a few oncoming trucks, their lights hooded, as were ours, and as all night travelling vehicles are in China. And how cold it was as our driver kept his window down several inches and rarely used the heater. Why, we will never know.

As we looked out of the windows we dimly recognized a few, isolated houses in the little mountain villages, their roofs covered with ice and snow, nestled against the sides of the hills. It was Christmas Eve, and we were almost at our destination. Soon we would arrive at the university where we were to have our "Professional Development Conference" and Christmas Break. How we need that!

It was now a half year since we had left Canada. We were far, far on the other side of the world, far from loved ones and friends. We had experienced wonderful things and made many friends at our Teachers' College, but now, in the darkness, memories of home flooded our consciousness. What were we doing in the night, halfway around the world away from children and grandchildren, in a bumping jeep along a winding road in the mountains, cold and road weary?

From time to time our driver had switched on his radio - even played some tapes of modern "Western Chinese" pop music. Now as we approached the great city of Chengdu, capital of the province, he switched the radio on again. We were up in the mountains, and all of a sudden the reception was clear. Suddenly we breasted a hill, and there below lay the city, a panorama of a myriad of twinkling lights.

Just at that time, just as the wonderful scene below signified our long weary way was almost at an end, in the darkness and the cold, our hearts were filled with loneliness and aching for home and Christmas, a voice from the radio filled our little jeep. We could not believe our ears. It was the voice of a well-known American singer singing in English, and of all the songs, he was singing Silent Night, Holy Night as only Bing Crosby could sing it!

That was our Christmas miracle - the marvellous song - lights twinkling below - our journey almost ended. Our drive glanced at us and he knew how this song at this time must be affecting us. Yes, tears filled our eyes, and in choking voices we tried to sing along, "Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright." All of a sudden the cold and the darkness seemed to dissipate, and we in our hearts and memories were with our dear loved ones back in Kitchener, back home.

That experience will never be forgotten for us - another six months later we had to leave China suddenly because of the repercussions of the Tiananmen Square troubles and tragedy, but this experience we will never forget. (The preceding event took place on December 24, 1988.)

Ed Boldt