By Mano Ratwatte –

When I was a little kid I didn’t have many toys.

It was back when there were shortages, rice barriers, queues and strikes galore.

I wrote to Santa over and over and over again every Christmas. Until he finally brought me a little gift, I have never let go since.

It had shining new rails and purty red bogeys, and a spanking new engine.

I loved my new train set. I didn’t know much English and only a Kadaley sized brain. I dropped out after 9 years of government school. All I knew was to love my new toy train GRAVY.

My little train with shiny rails, and bright shining red bogeys was all I cared about.

I named it GRAVY and I loved it dearly.

My trained called Gravy still runs uphill and downhill.

It’s decades since. So happy am I with my toy trained Mister Gravy. I don’t need more toys and I don’t need friends.

When I get bored, I paint my Gravy Blue. Sometimes when I get bored and sad, I paint my train Green. When I get angry and shunned, I paint my train Red.

Its got great Bogeys. It carries chairs and toy elephants too; Red, Green or Blue.

Gravy runs thick and gravy runs fast.

I change my crew but in-between few.

The wore uniforms Green, Red or Blue.

Didn’t matter what color they wore, they always ran true.

The passengers never changed. They are always tired, hungry and angry.

But the train was always true for me and my crew.

Green, Red or Blue.

Every Noel, Santa looks up on me; how I still mananged to be on the nice but not naughty list was a mystery, oh so delightful. Didn’t leave Maliban, Munchee and milk no more; I felt he liked a bag of dollars more.

Santa, I noticed, gets chunkier by the year; He finds it hard to slide through the greased Chimney.

He says “It’s the years old chap” Santa says with a grin and a wink, glowing off the fire are his shining Aurum teeth, more in number like the Aurum rings on his fingers too every year.

Santa replaced the lazy red union reindeer with several sleekPorsche Cayennes to pull his sleigh.

He says “You had engines from France, you had Engines from Hyundai and sometimes you even had Ship engines from France , and Volkswagen to power your Gravy”. “

Why is that son? I shrug my shoulders saying “it is the way Santa. They just make my train run better for me.”

Gravy loves me and I love Gravy and my crew Blue, Red or Green.

Passengers get tired going round and round when I play games. They are tired of the shiny bogeys which sometimes go off the rails. The ride is rough, dusty and dirty. Another tortuous dreary working day. “Decades long decades long years friend, they say”.

Some just like to go work as maids and drivers in Sandy climes but there is no Gravy for them; just chapaththi,filafel, hummus and babaganoush. They ain’t worth a train like Gravy; they are common and many.

How dare they?

They say “Tis time you got new trains for us as well. We ain’t riding your Gravy train no more”.

You idiots! You run ‘cos I tell you.

There is no room on Gravy for ya’ll-just me and my crew; Green, Red or Blue.

“Who cares?” I say. Gravy runs late, Gravy breaks down it fails not to serve me and only and only my crew; Green,Red or Blue.

My crew now has Prados, BMWs, Range Rovers on the shiny bogeys too; and a few TVs for the maids from Arabistan. It carries Sugar, Coconuts to be smashed and rubber for me and my crew, Red, Green or Blue.

Cos my Gravy train always took care of me and my crew; Red, Green or Blue.

For decades Gravy has loved me. I love my little Gravy.

Choo Choo, Chug Chug Chug Chug; uphill or downhill.

Once Green then I paint it blue. Then I paint it Green and in a nice sheen it chugs along Choo Choo

Son, will you like to ride my Gravy train too? Choo, Choo, Chug, Chug

You see my friends, it ain’t my fault Santa got me GRAVY.

You only wish you had Gravy too; Red, Green or Blue. Just don’t be sad and blue or envious and green;

Just wish you were part of my crew; Red, Blue or Green.

Choo Choo, Chug Chug Chug Chug; uphill or downhill.

Come join the Gravy Train crew; then it is Christmas be ye Red, Blue or Green.

It’s always Christmas for me; and my crew; Red Green or Blue. Always.

*Mano Ratwatte – Retired College Instructor