"Peter Pan"

A trip to the theatre. Sabina's first time. "Peter Pan" is playing during the school holidays, put on by the Warragul Youth Theatre, with an all children cast. The small country town is half an hour away from the farm. It's a real outing. I love it!

We enter, and the place is already buzzing with the noise of chatting children. They are sitting on the floor in front of the first row. Sabina turns around, her little hands lifted into the air, "mama, up, up, up". Overwhelmed already. We find a nice spot, almost in the middle of the second row. The show starts. Sabina watches Wendy, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell without much expression. When Captain Hook comes on stage, children are called up to volunteer as pirates - Sabina stays firmly in my lap. Then the crocodile sings. "Mama ... crocodeel" - finally, a reaction, a good one. "Mama ... the crocodeel didn't eat anyone". Oh, she's really getting into this.

Captain Hook is fantastic. He has a long black wig, a huge hat, big boots, a cape, a thin mustache, a piercing look and a stern voice. He dances all over the pirate ship, and sings of doing away with Peter Pan. Sabina slowly goes pale and cold. I think she may be coming down with the flu. Then she turns to face me, and buries her head in my chest, seeking protection from the mean and evil Captain James T. Hook.

By the end of the show she is brave enough to sneak a peek onto the stage, as the entire cast merrily sings an encore medley.

When Papa comes home from work, we tell him about the show, and Peter Pan, Wendy, Tinker Bell, even the "crocodeel". But should you mention Captain Hook, Sabina will quickly glance over both shoulders, and run to you with little outstretched hands calling "up up up"!