The Performance

Sing aloud to God our strength:

Shout for Joy to the God of Jacob .

Raise a song , sound the tambourine,

The sweet lyre with the harp .

Psalm 81:1&2

It was showtime ! After months of rehearsals and a show that almost happened , all the youngsters were ready to take on the stage !

The group was a potpourri of sorts – kids , &young adults , neurotypical & those with challenges – All united in their purpose ! Excitement and enthusiasm engulfed them all !

We , the parents on the other hand , were oscillating between excitement and despair . Some days of rehearsals were good , some disappointing. We were unsure of what to expect on the day of performance. But our director and coach , Ma’am, was surprisingly unperturbed! She told us that we had done what we could ! The rest is in God’s hands .We were urged to hand over the reins to Him .

Many prayers went up that evening !

Listen to the sound of my cry ,

My king , My God

For to you , I pray

Psalm 5:2

We had invited all those who matter to Jeff for this important event. My sisters and their families, his cousins , our relatives , some friends , his school teachers and his first speech therapist – all had assured us that they would be at the venue on time .

Two hours before the show , the actors were all dressed in exotic Arabian costumes.. Our director asked them to walk through the wrap around veranda of the auditorium to greet the audience who were waiting for the doors to open . This was a master stroke !There were loud shouts and cheers all around ! The actors got recharged on seeing their dear ones !

Jeff was too excited for words ! With a beaming face , he spotted his favourite people all in one place ! It must have been too overwhelming for him.

The evening started with the market scene in Alibaba – where all the actors had a part . After Alibaba , the stage was set for Alladin and the Lamp . The first scene started with my son , the Sultan , delivering a monologue about the difficulties of bringing up a daughter ! To my dismay , when the curtain was raised, my son stood still , peering into the darkness where the audience sat , trying to see where his folks were! My heart missed a few beats ! In a hoarse whisper , I called out to him from the wings – Say your lines !

With a start , he began delivering his lines . I do not know what the director had conceptualised regarding Sultan but Jeff came across as an absent minded funny character. The audience was giggling whenever he spoke his lines !

There were some natural actors too ! The boy who played Genie charmed the audience with his spontaneity! This boy with Asperger Syndrome proved to be an excellent entertainer.

There was another who made all the difference- a neurotypical young man who played the role of Aladdin – Polite and charming , he skilfully managed the dynamics on the stage , by guiding the rest of the cast gently . He was the glue that held it all together.

The green room witnessed many a stressed parent as we helped the children in and out of their colourful yet elaborate costumes . We hardly got a few seconds between the scenes to help them as there was no interval . Some insisted on doing it all by themselves to our exasperation!

The audience gave a standing ovation at the end of the performance. Undoubtedly our kids had broken the glass ceiling , dispelling the cloud of limited expectations, associated with those with challenges .

I pondered over all that I saw on the stage as regards my son . It was the first time he was on the stage with a speaking role – He managed to deliver the dialogue and even displayed a subtle protective attitude towards Jasmine , his daughter , the Princess ! This was a major achievement as expression of emotions , verbal or non verbal has been always a challenge .

we all made our way back home under the starry sky with our hearts brimming with hope and joy!

For once we were happy to be proved wrong !

The prayers of all the mothers and the director had reached Him !

God has indeed been gracious to us ! His eyes are always on the helpless !

Let all who seek you rejoice

and be glad in you .

Let all those who love your salvation

Say evermore, “God is great ! “

Psalm 70:4