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And it
*T was a Saturday night, and the night- club was packed to capacity. The dancing couples on the floor were in a gay holiday mood. The band sensed this and swung into a rollicking rock 'n' roll number. That was when we first saw All thony. Lo.
Tony stood out from the rest. Making full use of every available inch of floor, he went smoothly from one complicated five routine into another. A pretty partner followed his steps with the case born of long practice. We watched them through out the set...
It was not until the lights went up that I Baw hla crutch.
I watched with disbelief as ho threaded his way back to his table, adroitly cuted his partner and settled back in his chair, leaning the crutch against. a
a convenient wall. He smiled happily, storting on animated conversation with the girl.
It was after several days--and much pr suselon-that the nightclub manager consented to introduce me. Then, comfortably settled in a corner booth, Tony told me he had been a cripple from infancy.
*
***
THE suffered on attack of rickets at the age Hor three months.
The children's disease left. both legs sapped of all strength, but the condi- tion was not spotted until two years later when his parents noileed that he couldn't walk.
One leg was saved after a Chinese bono specialist used ail his skill in a course of freal- ments that lasted eight years. But the other had to be left useless and deformed.
Tony grew up. At the age of six he shumed and hopped about, the house with the mid of a small bench held. In his hands. On his eleventh birthday, he was given a pair of crutches. He tried them out for several weeks and, with on early benso of independence, promptly threw away one when he found he didn't need the pair,
He went through school with mixed feelings. La Salle College was school of bolsterous, active boys who filled him with envy at their ability to play athletic games, Rescniment flooded him every time he realised that he would, for the rest of his life, be handicapped. He couldn't face the word "cripple" without flinching.
If you appreciate
precision as well
as quality
was
THE CHINA MAIE, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1987.-~
CHRISTMAS
But at the same time, he enjoyect to the full the warm comradeship among his classmates, After ho learned live with the quick sido- glances at his deformed limb, he joined with gusto in all the activities open to him.
"All in all, he says now, "school days wero wonderful...I often wish they were back."
Then, one day, he graduated.
The world looked grim. Facing the facts squarely at last, he realised with something of a thock, the position he was really in: a cripple feaving plema, he was entering a rough, fast equipped with 'a solitary crutch and school. and competitive world where the one qualifica tion for existenco was summed up, he decided, in a word: -"Normal"
Tony Lo and Honey Wong-"with hor I don't feel a cripple.""
by George Liu
I
friendly towards me. But they'd nover dream of going out with. me on date like they lid with other chape," ho sald.
"Honey's different. Some- bow, with her I never foul a cripple.
Terry decided that to lead #
"LET'S DO IT PROPER : 1
Page:
· WITH A BIS.C.”
School for Santas
By GERALD CRANE,
Tamim boy at Christ.
"normal life he had to be a small boy at Christ- better than the average person:
"I made up my 'mind to cam an old rod suit, equipped Л higher-than-average salary, do work better than the others, with a white beard, and and to know more about every carrying a stick of boys, is thing than the average chap." just about the perfect
"HAD to better other Santa Claus. wise there was no place in rociety fot mo."
WITH this thought in mind, he get out with fanatical onergy 10 achieve his purpose. Apart from rising in his career, Tony crammed in a full course
tn
"I guess,
I felt pretty sorry That was when it happened. book-keeping and accountancy vfor myself that graduation His name shouted nerosi the at a Government night school, day," he said with wry grin, room brought back the parle. gave private lessons in Eng He paused for moment to It was a classmate who, somo- lsh, and found time to master: order another battle of Coca- how, had learned of his prae- Cola from a passing walter, ising dance-steps. "Come on; ly, he unfolded the story of his do!" Then, quietly and dispassionate Tony, let's see what you can struggle to be "normal"
Soon they wore. all shouting for him. "The embarrassment was agony," he recalls now. "And when they kept up the shouts, 1 couldn't take it any more, 1 looked around in daze, and asked the girl nearest
night,
ma
Four musical instruments- gullar, ukelele, harmonica, place and he wants to start on drums now. (Ho entered a singing contest on Rediffusion and took second place).
Most of the modern danccari walz, foxtrol, quickstep, jive, mambo, cha-cha-cha and tango. Swimming-he fearned the crawl in two works and, short
I was Christmas 1953
"A classmate invited weeks before to his party. In desperation in show everyone, but chiefly myself, that I wan as good as any 'normal' man, I to me for a chance. To my bully afterwards, synm for the practiced all the dance steps in price she calmly stood up and Fortuna relay team (fastest the book by myself, I'd go hold up her arms with a warm painfully from one routine to mile.
another to music on Rediffusion
and radio programmes," recalled
ha
ап
By that time and even norw -the word "normal" was obsession to him
*
**
In fact, the averago small boy would probably settle for the sack of toys.
But a Mr Charles W. Howard of Albion, New York, has ollior ideas.....
+
Ho' belleves the ideal Santa Claus murt,
additionally, be middleaged, well-educated, quick witted, snappy in con- versation, good natured--but never a clown.
Ideally, he ought, too, o have blue eyes, a full, round
face, and weight between 185 and 250 pounds. He must never be shorter than five feet six inches nor taller than six foot.
ought to know.
Ferhaps. Indeed, Mr Howard
More than 20 years ago, he farmer, who used sometimes to play Sanis for the children in Albion, noticed that the aver- age store Santa looked pretty ruffy in his old worn suit and his unhygenic-looking beard,
Ho also found that the Santas employed werd often casuni labourers whose interest in the job was scanty, to say the least.
That, he reckoned, disillu- sioned small boys; ritated parents and built op 1-will where, goodwill shoull abound.
So.ho started his school. He imported real reindeer, institut ed courses on how to quell ob- streporous children, and even taught his pupils to wrap pre- tents handsomely.
Ho persuaded stores to use Clauses and to treat a trip to Aegular employees as Baila the school at Albion as a ro- ward for meritorious service,
school are
Graduates of the
presented with n tiny silver He runs a school for Santa chimney. Each year ho stays Clauses, a school which Issues on the job he collects a long- the "degroo" of BS.Cim-service bara miniatura silver Ume for the 100 metres, probably translated. "Bachelor brick. Eventually. If he lasts
of Santa Claus”.
25 years, he will be awarded a Academics may shudder ді ruby to almulate a firo under this horse-play, but Mr Howard his chimney and mark him' as a finds that the puballe doesn't real ball of fire among
And he sees Sonia Claus prin-. Sanids... sipally as a public relations
sces. Still unsatisfied, he de- cided to test himselt by swim- ming the harbour.
He frished 79th out of a Al of over 250 and "I felt X could swim all the way back o Kowloon again when I reached the finish."
MONY doesn't recall much of Ho dressed carefully
for that first dance. He was shaic- the iner with nervousness and con- the ocension, tucking in
Today, Tony Jy a polished, corating so hard on his steps, flapping end of tils right trous-leg. Arriving
silence colf-assured, product of at the didn't notice the
his that had fallen in the room. efforts, Gone forever is sudden
the party, be overcame a
girl, with twinge of panic and went In The
# surprised 'mid shrinking from the word Erile,
The only way followed him smoothly cripple." to meet the gathering.
after the Orst
can jolt him from the con- Iow The noley galety of the small and easily group
Acence in himself is to suggest and the warmth of fallering attempts.
he has reached his limits. Then shouted groelingɔ dispelled, his
he unensiness for a while. He set
pours out his plans for a bright becomes Indignant
and tled inlo a chair and watched.
and active future.
the concing.
"She told me I danced better than most of the other chaps," he said. "I'll never really know whether the meant it, but I could have fallen in love with her just for saying it." Later, be did,
That was three years ago,
engaged in
ono
It was inte when we finish- ed. Claneing at his watch, ho said he had to get some reet for a busy day ahead. He pick- ed up his crutch, and hefted
"You know,” he said, "I shudder to think howW dif- turned out if I hadn't gone to fcrently my life could have that party on Christmas night, 1953.
HE tapped his foot to the strains Now the girl, pretty and petite it with a faint smile
of a jazzed up version of Honey Wong, Is "Jingle Bells." Across the room, Tony. near a Brightly-lit Christmas tree, he spotted a classmate Foing into a new routine with
partner. He nodded ep proval as the "danceTS went into a break, the girl twirling in a neat double spin, return- Ing to position just as the cord endod.
his
-31
It was Honey who gave him that last spark of confidence to beat the odds in his fight to the "normal." Ho plunged into his shipping clerk's job with slavish determination.
*Before Honey 'came along, I found girls were willing to be
man,
In America, as elsewhere, no big store. and hardly. any middle-sized store, is without its Santa Claus at Christmas. Some of the biggest flims hire as many as 20.”
A young visitor signs the guest book at the Santa Claus school. Trainaas are taught how to cope with all types of children--and stay good humoured,
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