A REFRESHING REVEREND (27 september 2004)
One of my childhood heroes was uncle Han.
Uncle Han was a priest. But to us, his nephews and nieces, he was the best thing that could happen to your party.
One party trick uncle Han used to perform: he would ask for a small drinking glass and a napkin. The napkin went over the glass.
"Is it still there, uncle Han?"
"Yes -- see?"
The glass was still there ...
But then he hit the napkin hard, we'd hear a bang. And to our infinite surprise, the glass had penetrated the table and lay under the tabletop, in his lap.
* * *
Or he would ask my mother for cotton wool and a meths burner. And then he'd he light one ball of cotton wool.
What followed would fill us with the kind of excitement that is normally only brought about by the best horror movies: one burning ball after the other went into his mouth.
* * *
I'm sure each of uncle Han's nephews and nieces could tell you dozens of stories like these. He's very much alive in the memories of all his surviving relatives.
He was an uncle every child would love to have.
